UK: IOC officials say they are impressed by the 2012 Olympic stadium which is under construction in East London
Record ID:
329600
UK: IOC officials say they are impressed by the 2012 Olympic stadium which is under construction in East London
- Title: UK: IOC officials say they are impressed by the 2012 Olympic stadium which is under construction in East London
- Date: 22nd April 2009
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (APRIL 21, 2009) (REUTERS) WIDE SHOT OF STADIUM UNDER CONSTRUCTION HEAVY EQUIPMENT AND MACHINERY PAN SHOT SHOWING BLEACHERS MORE OF WORKERS AT STADIUM HEAVY MACHINERY WIDE OF STADIUM CONSTRUCTION WORKERS ON SITE SITE/ CAMERA PANS TO SHOW IOC OFFICIALS LONDON 2012 OLYMPICS CHIEF SEBASTIAN COE (IN WHITE HARD HAT WITH ORANGE LOGO) SPEAKING TO OFFICIALS MORE OF IOC OFFICIALS AT STADIUM VARIOUS OF COE AND DENIS OSWALD, CHAIRMAN OF THE IOC COORDINATION COMMISSION, LOOKING AT STADIUM COE AND OSWALD WALKING AWAY (SOUNDBITE) (English) LONDON 2012 OLYMPICS CHIEF SEBASTIAN COE SAYING: "It's an exciting moment for me and all our team because the last time Denis was on the site we were literally breaking the soil here May of last year. So just under a year this is where we've got to. Actually at that point were looking down just at huge hole that was going to be the underground work, but now it's coming out the ground and in a very demonstrable way. And that's really our task this week. It's not just to match up in theory what we we've been doing but actually to show the progress across the project, the Olympic Park and elsewhere." (SOUNDBITE) (English) DENIS OSWALD, CHAIRMAN OF THE IOC COORDINATION COMMISSION, SAYING: "I must say having been here in May last year, I was here a year ago, I was very much impressed how much work has been done. I'm also been impressed by the concept. Of course I knew there would be a portion which would be permanent and another one which would be changed for the Games but now you can see exactly what it means and for me it's very relaxing to see how much work has been done and how far we are. We have a stadium, we are sure. It was not necessarily the case in some of the previous games. So it's very relaxing." CAMERAMAN (SOUNDBITE) (English) LONDON 2012 OLYMPICS CHIEF SEBASTIAN COE SAYING: "These are the most challenging times since the mid-70s to be delivering an Olympic Games. But our teams have risen to that challenge and I think what we want to be able to demonstrate this week is that the budgets are robust and the progress demonstrable." CONSTRUCTION WORKERS ON SITE WIDE OF STADIUM UNDER CONSTRUCTION
- Embargoed: 7th May 2009 13:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: Sports
- Reuters ID: LVA6BZU0W3EW1FLSVKJVSVHGFY2L
- Story Text: Cranes and heavy machinery dot the dusty construction site in east London where the 2012 Olympic Games will be held.
Officials from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) visited the site on Tuesday (April 21) to inspect the progress of the construction of the 500 million pounds (740 million USD) stadium.
"I was very much impressed how much work has been done. I'm also been impressed by the concept. Of course I knew there would be a portion which would be permanent and another one which would be changed for the Games but now you can see exactly what it means and for me it's very relaxing to see how much work has been done and how far we are. We have a stadium, we are sure. It was not necessarily the case in some of the previous games," said Denis Oswald, chariman of the IOC Coordination Commission.
The 86,000-capacity stadium will host the opening and closing ceremonies and the track and field events.
London 2012 Olympics head Sebastian Coe says he is confident that despite the global recession, construction remains on schedule.
"These are the most challenging times since the mid-70s to be delivering an Olympic Games. But our teams have risen to that challenge and I think what we want to be able to demonstrate this week is that the budgets are robust and the progress demonstrable," Coe said after showing the stadium to the 16 visiting IOC officials.
The stadium will house a school under legacy plans for the venue.
As well as a sport's academy for 400 secondary school pupils inside the stadium, there are plans for the English Institute of Sport and a National Skills Academy to be based there.
Premier League club West Ham, whose Icelandic owner has been hit hard by the global banking crisis, did initially express an interest in moving to the Olympic Stadium after the Games but were put off by the requirement to retain an athletics track.
The stadium will host international athletics events as well as other sporting events and concerts after the 2012 Games.
Olympic Minister Tessa Jowell in February said she hoped the Olympic Park project would become a "hub for sport in London" and act as "a magnet for business and investment". - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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