The full British Swimming Team, coaches and support staff saw progress on the London 2012 Aquatics Centre this weekend as part of their preparations for this summer’s World Swimming Championship, a major stepping stone to the 2012 Games.
The swimmers that saw the wave-shaped 2800 tonne Aquatics Centre roof taking shape included Beijing medallists double Gold winner Rebecca Adlington, Joanne Jackson, Bronze Medallist and 400m freestyle world record holder and David Davies, 10km Open Swim Silver medallist.
The Aquatics Centre will be the gateway to the Olympic Park and in legacy will provide two 50m swimming pools, a diving pool and dry diving area - facilities London does not have at present.
ODA Chief Executive David Higgins said: “Work on the Aquatics Centre is on track and the sweeping roof that will form the ‘Gateway to the Games’ is already taking shape in the skyline. This was an opportunity for the British Swimming Team to see the exiting progress being made on the venue they could be competing in 2012 and training in after the Games alongside the local community.”
Chairman of the London 2012 Organising Committee Sebastian Coe said: “In three years or so, this Aquatics Centre will be a living, breathing Olympic and Paralympic venue and I hope home to some extraordinary British performances in 2012 and beyond. I am sure that seeing the venue – even in these early stages of construction - will inspire our swimmers to greater heights between now and 2012. And after the Games, London will be left with a fantastic swimming facility for both elite and community use – something the city is in desperate need of.”
Michael Scott, the British Swimming National Performance Director: “Visiting the London 2012 Aquatics Centre has reminded the athletes of their long term goals and we are just about to head off to our National Squad training camp which is part of our preparations for the FINA 2009 World Championships in Rome.
“The London 2012 Games may still be three years away but those that made the visit will use this as motivation to make sure they will be there swimming in front of their home crowd in 2012.”
Thirty pairs of temporary support trestles up to 20 metres high have been put in place to support the huge steel trusses that will form the sweeping wave-shaped roof of the Aquatics Centre, which will be the ‘gateway’ to the Olympic Park during the 2012 Games and in legacy’.
The 2800 tonne steel roof of the Zaha Hadid designed venue started being lifted into place in March in the toughest engineering and construction challenge of the Olympic Park ‘big build’. After the 160m long roof is in place, which will be longer than the span of Heathrow Terminal Five, it will be lowered into its permanent position on three concrete supports.
Over 20,000 tonnes of concrete have been poured to complete the southern roof support and both the two 18.5m tall northern roof supports.
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