London 2012: Olympic venues overview
Thirty competition venues were used for the Olympic Games London 2012. Thirteen of the competition venues were existing, six were new and eleven were temporary. Out of the eleven temporary venues, ten have been dismantled. One of the existing venues was demolished. Nineteen remain in use today, including a temporary venue which became permanent. Eight of the venues were outside London.
The venues still in use host sports, cultural, entertainment and leisure activities, cater for athletes of all levels of ability, and stage competitions that range from world championships to school events.
The London Aquatics Centre hosts national and international swimming meetings such as the World Paralympic Swimming Championships 2019 and FINA Diving World Series 2019. The Copper Box Arena is used by more than 20 sports clubs and schools for physical exercise and is home to professional and amateur sports teams, including the London GD Handball Club, London Pulse netball team and the London Lions basketball side.
During the Olympic Games, a number of existing and temporary venues in and around the city were used for competition. Wembley hosted football competitions. London’s North Greenwich Arena, Wembley Arena and Excel were already built, while the iconic Greenwich Park and Horse Guards Parade were temporarily transformed into venues for the equestrian and beach volleyball competitions, respectively. The All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club in Wimbledon hosted the tennis, and Lord’s cricket ground was used for the archery events.
Beyond the capital, the sailing competitions were held in Weymouth, Eton Dorney hosted the rowing and canoe sprint events, and Hadleigh Farm staged the mountain bike races. The football competitions took place at existing stadiums in Cardiff, Coventry, Glasgow, Manchester and Newcastle.
After the Games, the Olympic Village was transformed into new homes for private rent and affordable housing to help meet local needs. Occupancy rates are at more than 95 per cent. The neighbourhood is now more accessible, thanks to the expansion of public transport connecting this area to London’s centre. However, the targets of affordable housing announced during the candidature have been reviewed and reduced, which, combined with the strong net migration into the area, causes disquiet around its gentrification.