Construction on London 2012’s Olympic stadium is now complete. Started in May 2008, the 80,000-seat stadium has grown over the past three years from its foundations into one of the most remarkable buildings on London’s eastern skyline. The stadium will host the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, as well as the athletics competitions.
The final piece of turf was laid at an event attended by International Olympic Committee (IOC) Coordination Commission Chairman Denis Oswald, IOC Athletes’ Commission Chairman Frank Fredericks, London 2012 Chair Sebastian Coe, Olympic Delivery Authority Chairman John Armitt, IOC Olympic Games Executive Director Gilbert Felli, and 400m hurdles Olympic medallist Tasha Danvers.
The Perfect Stage
Commenting on the occasion, Denis Oswald said: “What a fantastic stadium! As host of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, this arena will provide the first and last memories that many people will have of London’s, and I have no doubt that it will provide the perfect stage. When the athletes see what has been created here, I am sure that they too will be inspired to reach new heights in their sport. Congratulations to all of those involved in creating this unique and spectacular theatre.”
Outstanding Sporting Arena
Speaking after seeing the stadium, Frank Fredericks said: “Athletes that have spent a lifetime training for their Olympic dream deserve to be able to achieve it in the best possible conditions. I believe that those competing here in 2012 will not be disappointed. I would like to congratulate everyone involved in the construction of London’s Olympic stadium for producing a truly outstanding sporting arena. When filled with fans at Games time, I am certain that the atmosphere will drive many of the competitors to achieve new personal bests and create unique moments of Olympic history.”
Work On-going
With construction now complete, work will continue on the fit-out of the new stadium. The final track surface will be laid later this year by the London 2012 Organising Committee in order to avoid it being damaged during the large amount of temporary overlay construction that will be needed in preparation for the Ceremonies and the Games. The stadium will host the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, as well as the athletics competitions.
LONDON 2012
London was elected as the host city for the Games of the XXX Olympiad on 6 July 2005 at the 117th IOC Session in Singapore. London eventually succeeded in the fourth round of voting, taking 54 votes from a possible 104. London faced stiff opposition during the vote from the other four candidate cities: Paris, New York, Moscow and Madrid. There will be 26 sports on the Olympic programme in London in 2012 and around 10,500 athletes.
