First London 2012 venue opens to the public
From Left to Right: Kevin Mills, Shaun Dawson, Tim Baillie, Richard Hounslow, David Florence, Etienne Stott,and Derrick Ashley
With the first Olympic venue already
open for public use, Lee Valley Regional Park Authority has
unveiled plans to make four London 2012 venues vibrant, 52 week a
year centres for the widest possible range of
participants.
Lee Valley White Water Centre opened its door
to the public last weekend, less than five weeks after British
pair, Tim Baillie and Etienne Scott, won the team’s first ever gold
medal in the canoe slalom.
“Lee Valley White Water Centre is open and
we’ve achieved our aim to give people the chance to go rafting and
paddling at Lee Valley White Water Centre just weeks after Team GB
won gold and silver in the canoe slalom event,” said Shaun Dawson,
Lee Valley Regional Park Authority Chief Executive.
As the fastest Olympic venue to open to the
public in the modern era, the Centre is one of four Olympic venues
that will be run by Lee Valley Regional Park Authority. The
Authority will also run the Velopark, Hockey Centre and Tennis
Centre on the future Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Sport England has invested over £11 million of
National Lottery funding in Lee Valley White Water Centre and Lee
Valley Velopark to ensure facilities can be adapted for use by the
community after the Games.
“Getting paddlers of all abilities out on the
water just weeks after Team GB’s medal success will help us build
on the impetus of this incredible summer of sport,” said Jennie
Price, Sport England Chief Executive. “Sport England’s
investment means that both the White Water Centre and the Velopark
have been designed to ensure they offer a fabulous experience to
community users as well as elite athletes.”
Lee Valley Regional Park Authority’s plans for
each of the venues include:
- A new £4.5 million development project at Lee
Valley White Water Centre to create improved visitor amenities and
new athlete facilities.
- The Lee Valley VeloPark will be the best
cycling hub in the world, bring together track cycling, mountain
biking, BMX and road cycling together in one place.
- The Hockey Centre will combine community and
elite use and be an outstanding centre for those performing at the
international level through to schoolchildren as well as clubs and
other education providers.
- Made up of ten tennis courts, the Lee
Valley Tennis Centre will also combine community and elite use and
will be a world class venue for sport in an area of London that has
limited access to affordable, premier tennis facilities.
To find out more about how you can have go on
the same course as our Olympic gold medallists, visit gowhitewater.co.uk
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