From Vancouver to Bradford: Live Olympics coverage at a city square near you

From Friday and throughout the Games, live coverage, highlight packages, interviews with athletes and cultural films will be beamed out on 18 screens pitched across Britain.

Coverage will be shown from 8am to 10pm daily in Bradford and Leeds, and at other venues nationwide.

"This will be a real taste of what the public can expect for 2012," said London 2012 chief Lord Coe.

He said: "The live sites are a great opportunity for cities across the UK to enjoy the action, and with our exclusive content, they will be a great destination for families to enjoy what we expect to be an exciting and inspiring Winter Games."

Highlights will run in the mornings and early afternoon before live coverage begins in the early evening until 10pm.

British competitors to watch out for include Shelley Rudman, who will be hoping to go one better than the silver she won as Britain's only medallist at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Turin, in the skeleton, alpine skier Chemmy Alcott, plus British women world bobsleigh champions Gillian Cooke and Nicola Minichiello.

Highlights from the Vancouver Cultural Olympiad will also be shown.

The London 2012 live site will be at Millennium Square, Leeds; and Centenary Square, Bradford.