Milestone as velodrome is unveiled
THE 2012 Games may still be more than 550 days away, but London officially received its first Olympic venue yesterday when the velodrome was declared open.
British cycling stars Sir Chris Hoy, who helped to design the 6,000-seat venue, and Victoria Pendleton were in attendance at the Olympic Park in Stratford for the unveiling.
The velodrome’s Siberian pine track is being billed as the fastest in the world, and four-time Olympic gold medal winner Hoy said it would be “the best in the world – I can’t wait to compete on it”.
Lord Coe, chairman of London 2012’s organising committee, called the eye-catching arena, which was completed on budget and within two years, “a stunning venue built for champions”.
The velodrome could prove the seen of some of Britain’s greatest moments next year, with track cycling the team’s most successful discipline in Beijing in 2008.