The 2012 Summer Olympic Games are officially being staged in London, England, the capital city of the United Kingdom.
The 26 different sports and their various disciplines will be held in a number of different venues across the city and in other parts of the south of the UK. Some venues are historic landmarks or existing structures while others are being purpose-built for the 2012 Olympics.
The Olympic Park for London 2012
2.5 square kilometres of industrial wasteland are being transformed into a smart, modern Olympic Park to greet the world when it comes together to compete at the games.
The heart of this celebration of sport will be the brand new Olympic Stadium, currently being built in Stratford, East London. Here the opening and closing ceremonies will be held, along with the athletic events for both the Summer Olympics and the Paralympics.
The new Aquatic Centre will be the venue for diving and swimming Olympic and Paralympic events, along with Water Polo. It is designed as the gateway to the Olympic Park, with a huge bridge running across the building.
Another new and permanent venue will be the Handball Arena which will also host goalball, fencing and some modern pentathlon events. The largest temporary venue in the Park will be the 12,000-seat Basketball Arena, which will also be used for handball, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby.
A Hockey Centre, with two pitches, will also be used for seven-a-side football and Paralympic five-a-side football. A 15,000 temporary structure, parts of it will be kept after the games as a permanent venue.
Track cycling, Paralympic track cycling and BMX events will be held at the new VeloPark. Another Olympic Park venue is Eton Manor, where wheelchair tennis will be played.
The Olympic Village, home for 17,000 athletes during the games, will form another major section of the Park.
Other London Venues for the Summer Games of 2012
A wide range of existing buildings and sites will host different sporting activities. Those nearest to the Olympic Park include the North Greenwich Arena, formerly known as the Millennium Dome and intended for gymnastics, trampoline and basketball events.
Equestrian and modern pentathalon events will be held in nearby Greenwich Park, in a 23,000 temporary venue. A cross country course for horse riding will be erected in the park. The adjacent Royal Artillery Barracks will see indoor and outdoor shooting matches, Paralympic shooting and Paralympic archery competitions. Other archery competitions will happen at Lord's Cricket Ground.
Another London Docklands venue are the existing arenas of ExCeL, which will host a wide range of indoor sports including boxing, judo and weightlifting.
Central London will experience the glamour and excitement of beach volley ball, as the historic Horse Guards Parade is converted into a temporary seaside scene with seating for 15,000 people. Another popular location hosting events is Hyde Park, where the 10km swim and triathlon will be held.
Road cyclists will compete in Regents Park, home of the famous London Zoo and volleyball events will be held in Earls Court, a popular conference venue in west London. Olympic tennis will be played on the famous turf at Wimbledon.
2012 Summer Olympic Games Events Outside of London
The rowing, Paralympic rowing and some canoeing competitions are to be held at Eton Dorney, a world-class rowing centre to the west of London and a short distance from historic Windsor Castle. Another castle, this time at Hadleigh in Essex, will form the backdrop to the challenging mountain bike course to be built at Hadleigh Farm.
The canoe slalom competition will be held at the Lee Valley White Water Centre in Hertfordshire, north of London.
Sailing and Paralympic sailing events will take place in Weymouth, part of the World Heritage Site of the Jurassic Coast. This harbour, once a major centre of the Royal Navy, provides some of the best natural sailing water in the UK.
Finally, the most northerly London Olympic venue will be the City of Coventry Stadium, in the centre of England. Here the medals in football will be competed for.
The London Summer Olympics in 2012 promise to be another exciting chapter in the history of this famous sporting event, and the number and variety of venues should allow tens of thousands to enjoy some of the competitive action at first hand.
Andrew Knowles - Experience is the author of authoritative writing. That's why I focus on subjects where I can say "been there, done that". As a ...
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