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Champion swimmers see 2012 centre take shape
Danny Brierley11 May 2009
The British swimming squad, including double Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington, have visited the London 2012 Aquatics Centre.
Adlington joined team mates including 400m freestyle world record holder Joanne Jackson and David Davies, the 10km open swim silver medallist in Beijing, to see the wave-shaped 2,800-tonne Aquatics Centre roof in Stratford, east London, taking shape.
British Swimming's national performance director Michael Scott hopes the weekend visit will inspire the athletes.
He said: “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.”
The squad is now preparing for the World Championships in Rome in July.
Work on lifting the roof, the toughest engineering and construction challenge of the Olympic Park big build', began in March.
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.
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 roof.
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.
Olympic Delivery Authority chief executive David Higgins said: “This was an opportunity for the British Swimming team to see the exciting progress being made on the venue they could be competing in 2012 and training in after the Games alongside the local community.
“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.”
After the 2012 Games the Aquatics Centre will provide two 50m swimming pools, a diving pool and dry diving area.
London 2012 organising committee chairman Lord 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.”
