Olympic sites in Britain
Many of the 2012 Olympic Games competitions will be taking place at the new Olympic Park venues. But some events and competitions will be happening at venues around Britain. Here are the Olympic venues that you can check out before 2012:
Earls Court
2012 sport: Indoor Volleyball
The Earls Court Exhibition Centre in West London will be turned into a 15,000 seat arena, where the Indoor Volleyball competition will take place. Earls Court was also the venue for the boxing preliminaries, wrestling, weightlifting and gymnastics at the 1948 London Olympics.
Web: Earls Court (www.eco.co.uk/)
Dorney Lake, Eton Dorney
2012 sport: Rowing and Flatwater Canoe/Kayak, Paralympic Rowing
Eton Dorney, near Windsor Castle, will be the venue for the Rowing and Flatwater Canoe/Kayak and Paralympic Rowing in the 2012 games. Dorney Lake is a 2,200m, 8 lane course with a separate return lane recently constructed to international standards by Eton College.
Web:
Dorney Lake (www.dorneylake.com/)
ExCeL London
2012 sport: Boxing, Fencing, Judo, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Weightlifting, Wrestling, Boccia, Paralympic Table Tennis, Paralympic Powerlifting, Wheelchair Basketball
ExCeL London is one of Europe’s largest and most versatile exhibition spaces, and in 2012, the various competitions will take place throughout 4 arenas.
Web:
ExCeL London (www.excel-london.co.uk/)
Football stadiums
2012 sport: Football
The London 2012 Football competitions will be held at stadiums throughout the country. Catch the games at Hampden Park in Glasgow; Millennium Stadium in Cardiff; Old Trafford in Manchester; St James’ Park in Newcastle; Villa Park in Birmingham and Wembley Stadium in London, where the finals will take place.
Lord’s Cricket Ground
2012 sport: Archery
Lord’s Cricket Ground in North West London will be transformed into an Archery range for 2012. Crowds of 6,500 will enjoy the Archery competition of the Olympic Games, with two fields of play inside the stadium.
Web: Lord’s Cricket Ground (www.lords.org/latest-news/top-stories/)
North Greenwich Arena
2012 sport: Gymnastics, Basketball
You probably know the North Greenwich Arena as the Millennium Dome. During the Games, the North Greenwich Arena will host Gymnastics and the finals of the Basketball competition. The arena will seat 20,000 spectators for the Basketball final and 16,500 for the Gymnastics.
Web:
North Greenwich Arena (www.theo2.co.uk/inside/the-o2-arena.html)
Regent’s Park
2012 sport: Road Cycling
Regent’s Park, one of London’s Royal Parks, will host the conclusion of the Road Cycling course in 2012. The course will take in some of London’s premier locations including Hampstead Heath, before reaching its conclusion in Regent’s Park in front of 3,000 seated spectators.
Web: Regent’s Park (www.royalparks.org.uk/regents/)
Royal Artillery Barracks
2012 sport: Shooting, Paralympic Shooting
The Royal Artillery Barracks on the edge of Woolwich Common in South East London is the 2012 venue for the Shooting and Paralympic Shooting competitions. Several temporary shooting ranges will be built at the existing venue, and crowds of 7,500 will be able to enjoy the action.
Weymouth & Portland Harbour
2012 sport: Sailing, Paralympic Sailing
Weymouth & Portland Harbour in Dorset, on England’s South East coast, will be the venue for the 2012 Sailing and Paralympic Sailing competitions. Weymouth and Portland Harbour provides some of the best natural sailing waters in Britain. The Sailing and Paralympic Sailing events will be free for spectators to watch.
Web:
Weymouth & Portland Harbour (www.weymouth.gov.uk/home.asp?sv=11)
White Water Canoe Centre
2012 Sport: Canoe Slalom
Broxbourne, in Hertfordshire will be the venue for the Olympic Slalom events during the 2012 games. Two Canoe Slalom courses will be created, including a permanent 300m competition course and a 160m warm-up course. A lake measuring 10,000 hectares will feed a system of pumps which will provide the Olympic course with 15 cubic meters of water per second – enough to fill an Olympic swimming pool every minute. The Centre will be opening to the public in spring 2011 and will be owned, funded and managed by Lee Valley Regional Park Authority.
Web:Lee Valley Regional Park - White Water Canoe Centre (www.leevalleypark.org.uk/en/content/cms/olympics/slalom_course/slalom_course.aspx)