With London 2012 nearly here, you’re going to see a lot of the Olympic Park and its amazing venues. And today, in our final tumblr, we look at the star attraction itself – the Olympic Stadium.
It will be the focus of the world’s attention for the next fortnight, but the aim is for the Olympic Stadium to be the premiere home for British athletes for decades ahead.
It’s already hosting the 2017 World Athletics Championships, and there are strong tenancy bids in place – ranging from football to Formula 1 – that leave it well-placed to be one of our most important sporting and entertainment venues beyond 2012.
Remember, Britain’s first ever purpose-built Olympic stadium – White City – remained a major national sporting venue for nearly a century after being built in 1908.
The omens are good that our new Olympic Stadium will make a similar contribution to the nation’s sporting life.
And it all starts from tonight …
London 2012 Velodrome
With London 2012 nearly here, you’re going to see a lot of the Olympic Park and its amazing venues in the weeks ahead. So each day in the run-up to the Opening Ceremony, we’re finding out how each venue will be used after the Games. Today, it’s the Velodrome.
The super-stylish Velodrome was a whisker away from winning the prestigious Stirling Prize for architecture this year.
After the Games, it will combine with a reconfigured BMX Track and new facilities for road cycling and mountain bike. This will form the new Lee Valley VeloPark, which will be available for the public and elite cyclists to use, transforming cycling facilities in the capital.
Find out more about the Velodrome on the London 2012 website.
London 2012 Aquatics Centre
With London 2012 nearly here, you’re going to see a lot of the Olympic Park and its amazing venues in the weeks ahead. So each day in the run-up to the Opening Ceremony, we’re finding out how each venue will be used after the Games. Today, it’s the Aquatics Centre.
With its striking wave-shaped roof, the Aquatics Centre is poised to one of the most visually impressive venues during the London 2012.
After the Games, it will have the temporary ‘wings’ dismantled and will become a flagship swimming centre for clubs, schools, athletes and the general public.
Fittingly, some of the first people to swim in the centre were 300 young people from the six local ‘host’ boroughs in the annual six Host Borough Swimming Championship in March.
Check out our unique timelapse footage of the venue being built.
Gloucester Sports Club back on track
A group of volunteers is giving a flood-stricken athletics club a new future with money inspired by the Games.
Gloucester City Council has secured £100,000 of Olympic legacy funding from Sport England’s Inspired Facilities Fund to bring Blackbridge Athletics Track back into full use for its local community and existing clubs.
Damaged by flooding in 2007, its current facilities have deteriorated to such an extent it has lost its competition license and specific restrictions have been placed on activities due to health and safety concerns.
Work taking place this summer will include widening the track, installing floodlights so people and refurbishing the clubhouse. The club will then be taken over by the newly formed Gloucester Athletics Track Management, a company made up of volunteers who will run the site for the local community.
The Inspired Facilities fund is part of the £135 million Places People Play legacy programme that is bringing the magic of a home Olympic and Paralympic Games into communities across the country.
