London is in fact breathing only one thing this year: the Olympic Games. Of course it is one of the most appealing events in the world, with a mission and vision that is very closely to the values of JCI. Brotherhood, peace, humanity,…
Visiting the venues built for the Olympics can be one reason to visit London. The Olympic Park in Stratford, East London, will be the central venue for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Olympic Park is made up of the nine Olympic venues, listed below, plus the Olympic Village.
To visit the area, take the metro to Stratford.
Aquatics Centre
Located at the south-east corner of the Olympic Park, the Aquatics Centre will be the venue for swimming, paralympic swimming, diving, synchronised swimming and the aquatics discipline of the modern pentathlon. It was designed by Zaha Hadid and features a spectacular wave-like roof that’s 160m long and 80m wide.
Basketball Arena
The Basketball Arena, at the north end of the Olympic Park, will host the basketball, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby and the final stages of the handball competition during the London 2012 Games. The arena is one of the largest temporary venues ever built for any Games, with a capacity of 12,000.
BMX Circuit
The BMX Circuit will host the Olympic BMX competition during the London 2012 Games. The daredevil riders race around a 400m circuit which has jumps and obstacles. After the games, the BMX Circuit will become part of Lee Valley’s new VeloPark.
Eton Manor
Eton Manor will host the wheelchair tennis during the Games. There will be nine competition courts and four warm-up courts with capacity for 10,500 spectators. Eton Manor, which is located on the site of the old Eton Manor Sports Club will also host training pools for swimmers and water polo players.
Handball Arena
The Handball Arena in the west of the Olympic Park has a capacity of 7,000 and will host the handball, goalball and the fencing discipline of modern pentathlon during the London 2012 Games. After the games, the venue will be transformed into a community sports centre for indoor sports.
Hockey Centre
During the games, the Hockey Centre will host the hockey, Paralympic 5-a-side football and the Paralympic 7-a-side football. The main competition pitch will have 16,000 seats and the warm-up pitch will seat 300. After the games, the pitches will be moved to the north and become part of the Eton Manor sports facilities.
Olympic Stadium
The Olympic Stadium is located in the south of the Olympic Park and will host the Opening and Closing Ceremonies as well as the athletics and Paralympic athletics during London 2012. The stadium will seat 80,000 people; 25,000 in permanent seats and 55,000 in a removable upper tier.
Velodrome
The Velodrome hosts track cycling and Paralympic track cycling during the London 2012 Games. The Velodrome seats 6,000; 3,500 seats around the track and 2,500 seats in two upper tiers within the venue’s roof. After the games, a mountain bike course and road cycle circuit will be added to create a Velopark for East London.
Water Polo Arena
The Water Polo Arena has a competition pool and a warm-up pool and will host the men’s and women’s water polo competitions during the London 2012 Games. The temporary arena seats 5,000 and is located in the south east corner of the Olympic Village; next to the Aquatics Centre.
Anish Kapoor: ArcelorMittal Orbit
Award-winning London-based artist Anish Kapoor has designed a stunning new artwork and visitor attraction for the Olympic Park. The ArcelorMittal Orbit is the tallest sculpture in the UK and, at 114.5m, is 22m taller than the Statue of Liberty. There are two indoor viewing platforms offering dramatic views of London’s skyline.
jcistainesmemorial 