UK: OLYMPICS: Organisers of this year's London Olympics face a crucial week of test events inside the Games main park with the hockey and waterpolo venues and main stadium set for scrutiny

Record ID: 330700

  • Title: UK: OLYMPICS: Organisers of this year's London Olympics face a crucial week of test events inside the Games main park with the hockey and waterpolo venues and main stadium set for scrutiny
  • Date: 3rd May 2012
  • Summary: LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM (MAY 2, 2012) (REUTERS) CROWDS WALKING INSIDE OLMYPIC PARK PEOPLE WALKING TOWARDS MAIN HOCKEY VENUE INTERIOR OF HOCKEY STADIUM AT RIVERBANK ARENA SECURITY STAFF CHECKING SEATING REPLAY SCREEN INSIDE STADIUM ARGENTINA WOMEN'S TEAM STRETCHING AHEAD OF INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT MATCH PLAYERS STRETCHING (SOUNDBITE) (English) LONDON 2012 CHIEF EXECUTIVE PAUL DEIGHTON SAYING: "It's really for the first time having this many people inside the Olympic Park, seeing how it works, getting them in and out, how they move around the common domain here, making sure our security processes work, seeing how the station in particular at Stratford copes with the crowds we'll get at the same time and seeing how our management structure copes with having more than one event going on at the same time. It's one thing having one event but when you've got six or seven going at the same time and two or three incidences at each one to cope with you really need to make sure your own command, control and communication systems are quite slick." POLICE BEING BRIEFED INSIDE STADIUM SHOT OF MAIN OLYMPIC STADIUM IN THE FAR BACKGROUND AUSTRALIAN HOCKEY PLAYER EDDIE OCKENDEN BEING INTERVIEWED (SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIAN HOCKEY PLAYER EDDIE OCKENDEN SAYING: "Really impressive venue. We all watched on the internet and on the news back home and we've seen the aerial footage and the slowly building of the structure. But to be here, it's amazing. It's a world class venue and we don't have too many hockey venues like this around the world and it's great to be here." GOAL (SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIAN HOCKEY PLAYER EDDIE OCKENDEN SAYING: "We think it's really important to come here and experience the venue. We're staying close to where we're staying in the village so I think that's all important. Like you said, our team hasn't been selected yet so it's a difficult period for the players where selection's involved. But overall for our programme and our plan, it's really important to be here and we appreciate the opportunity to come before the Olympics to check it out." SIGN INSIDE OLYMPIC PARK DIRECTING PEOPLE TO MAIN STADIUM / WATER POLO ARENA EXTERIOR OF WATER POLO ARENA INTERIOR OF WATER POLO ARENA VARIOUS OF WATER POLO MATCH IN PROGRESS INVOLVING GREAT BRITAIN WOMEN'S TEAM PAN FROM FLAGS HANGING ON ROOF TO WATER POLO POOL THE OLYMPIC STADIUM
  • Embargoed: 18th May 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: United Kingdom
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA53FBSL97X63AC1UH3PS0PWQPM
  • Story Text: The organisers of London 2012 (LOCOG) face their biggest test to date this week with the Olympic Park opening its doors to an estimated 140 thousand people.
    An international invitational hockey tournament is being held at the Riverbank Arena while athletics, inside the main stadium, is also being put through its paces.
    LOCOG estimates 75,000 people will be inside the main Park on Saturday (May 5) as security processes, ticketing operations, mobility services and Park-wide logistics are tested under the pressure of big spectator numbers.
    LOCOG Chief Executive Paul Deighton said on Wednesday (May 2) it was a significant time for the organisers.
    "It's really for the first time having this many people inside the Olympic Park, seeing how it works, getting them in and out, how they move around the common domain here, making sure our security processes work, seeing how the station in particular at Stratford copes with the crowds we'll get at the same time and seeing how our management structure copes with having more than one event going on at the same time," Deighton explained.
    "It's one thing having one event but when you've got six or seven going at the same time and two or three incidences at each one to cope with you really need to make sure your own command, control and communication systems are quite slick."
    The temporary hockey venue at the Riverbank Arena will host an international invitational tournament involving the sports power houses in Germany and Australia.
    Australia's men are ranked number one in the world and will arrive in London one of the favourites for gold.
    Striker Eddie Ockenden told Reuters he was hugely impressed by the temporary stadium, which will be moved to a permanent site before the games.
    Describing it as "a world class venue," Ockenden added: "We all watched on the Internet and on the news back home and we've seen the aerial footage and the slowly building of the structure. It's a world class venue and we don't have too many hockey venues like this around the world and it's great to be here."
    Ockenden added he hoped seeing the venue three months out from Games would give his Australian team an advantage come Games time.
    "We think it's really important to come here and experience the venue," he said.
    "We're staying close to where we're staying in the village so I think that's all important. Like you said, our team hasn't been selected yet so it's a difficult period for the players where selection's involved.
    "But overall for our programme and our plan, it's really important to be here and we appreciate the opportunity to come before the Olympics to check it out."
    The water polo arena is also hosting an international event as part of the London Prepares series.
    It is the first time competitive action will be held inside the temporary structure, opposite the main acquatic centre.
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