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2012 InternationalEducation Programme

Sports and venues of the London 2012 Olympic Games

Giving a home to inspiration

In 2012, athletes from all over the world will come to the UK to take part in one of the world’s largest festivals of sport and culture, the Olympic Games. Every four years, a different Host City becomes the centre of cultural and sporting excellence. In 2012, it’s London’s turn. The sports of the London 2012 Olympic Games

The 26 Olympic sports, split into the following 39 disciplines: Archery

Venue: Lord’s Cricket Ground, London Dates: Friday 27 July – Friday 3 August Medal events: 4 Athletes: 128 (64 men, 64 women)

Archery dates back around 10,000 years and is now practised in more than 140 countries around the world.

At the London 2012 Olympic Games world- Athletics class athletes will take part in 26 Olympic sports including Athletics, Handball, Wrestling and Venue: – . Olympic Park (track, field and combined events), London; The There was a huge amount to do to prepare Mall (road events), London for the London 2012 Games so the London Dates: Friday 3 August – Sunday Organising Committee of the Olympic and 12 August Paralympic Games (LOCOG) and the Olympic Medal events: 47 Delivery Authority (ODA) were set up. Athletes: 2,000

The ODA is responsible for planning and The Marathon event was increased from around building the Olympic Park, looking after both 25 miles to 26.2 miles at the London 1908 the permanent and temporary venues and Olympic Games, so the race could finish in front developing the transport system. of the Box where members of the British Royal Family were sitting. The length of the Marathon LOCOG is responsible for staging a Games we remains 26.2 miles to this day. will never forget. Organising such an important event is a big challenge! Badminton

Venue: Arena, London Dates: Saturday 28 July – Sunday 5 August Medal events: 5 Athletes: 172

Olympic shuttlecocks contain 16 feathers, each of them plucked from the left wing of a goose, and can travel faster than 400km/h. Basketball Canoe Slalom

Venues: Basketball Arena Venue: Lee Valley White Water – Olympic Park, London Centre, Hertfordshire (preliminaries, women’s quarter- Dates: Sunday 29 July – Thursday finals); North Greenwich Arena, 2 August London (men’s quarter-finals and Medal events: 4 women’s semi-finals onwards) Athletes: 82 Dates: Saturday 28 July – Sunday 12 August Up to 25 gates can be on a white water course. Medal events: 2 Touching a gate adds a two-second time penalty to Athletes: 288 (144 men, 144 the run; missing a gate incurs a 50-second penalty. women, 12 teams in each event). Canoe Sprint Basketball was originally played using a football. It wasn’t until the very end of the 19th century that Venue: Eton Dorney, the first basketballs were manufactured. Buckinghamshire Dates: Monday 6 – Saturday 11 Beach Volleyball August Medal events: 12 Venue: Parade, Athletes: 246 London Dates: Saturday 28 July – In canoes, athletes use a single-bladed paddle Thursday 9 August from a kneeling position. In kayaks, the Medal events: 2 competitors sit in the boat and use a paddle with Athletes: 96 (48 men, 48 women; two blades. 24 teams in each event) Cycling – BMX Since Beach Volleyball made its debut at the Atlanta 1996 Games, seven of the eight gold Venue: BMX Track – Olympic medals have been won by the US and Brazil. Park, London Dates: Wednesday 8 – Friday 10 Boxing August Medal events: 2 Venue: ExCeL, London Athletes: 48 Dates: Saturday 28 July – Sunday 12 August BMX bikes have only one gear and one brake. Medal events: 13 Athletes: 286 (250 men, 36 Cycling – Mountain Bike women) Venue: , Boxing was introduced to the ancient Olympic Dates: Saturday 11 – Sunday 12 Games in the 7th century BC, when opponents August fought with strips of leather around their fists. Medal events: 2 Athletes: 80 (50 men, 30 women)

The races will be held over rough, hilly countryside. Cycling – Road Equestrian – Dressage

Venue: The Mall, London (Road Venue: , London Race); Hampton Court, London Dates: Thursday 2 – Thursday 9 (Time Trial) August Dates: Saturday 28 July – Medal events: 2 Wednesday 1 August Athletes: 50 Medal events: 4 Athletes: 212 (145 men, 67 In Dressage, riders and their horses perform a women) series of movements known as a dressage test, and are awarded scores by judges. During the time trial cyclists start 90 seconds apart. The winner is the cyclist with the fastest Equestrian – Eventing time over the course. Venue: Greenwich Park, London Cycling – Track Dates: Saturday 28 – Tuesday 31 July Venue: Velodrome, London Medal events: 2 Dates: Thursday 2 – Tuesday 7 Athletes: 75 August Medal events: 10 This competition combines dressage, cross- Athletes: 188 (104 men, 84 country riding and jumping. women) Equestrian – Jumping The track in the Velodrome has been laid with lengths of Siberian pine, and is banked to an Venue: Greenwich Park, London angle of 42 degrees at its steepest point. Dates: Saturday 4 – Wednesday 8 August Diving Medal events: 2 Athletes: 75 Venue: Aquatics Centre – Olympic Park, London These events are an exciting test of skill, speed Dates: Sunday 29 July – Saturday and power held in an arena around a short 11 August 2012 course combining 12-14 fences. Medal events: 8 Athletes: 136 (68 men, 68 Fencing women) Venue: ExCeL, London Olympic springboards must be at least 4.8m Dates: Saturday 28 July – Sunday long and 50cm wide, while platforms should be 5 August at least 6m long and 3m wide. Medal events: 10 Athletes: 212

Fencing was the first Olympic sport to feature professional athletes. Football Gymnastics – Trampoline

Venues: City of Coventry Stadium Venue: North Greenwich Arena, (Coventry); London (Glasgow); Dates: Friday 3 – Saturday 4 (Cardiff); (Manchester); August St James’ Park (Newcastle); Medal events: 2 (London) Athletes: 32 Dates: Wednesday 25 July – Saturday 11 August The first modern trampoline was used in the Medal events: 2 1930s as a training tool for tumblers, astronauts Athletes: 504 (288 men, 216 and athletes. women; 16 men’s teams and 12 women’s teams). Handball

Since it was introduced as a medal sport in 1908, Venue: Handball Arena – Olympic Football has featured at every Olympic Games Park, London (preliminaries, except one – the Los Angeles 1932 Games. women’s quarter-finals); Basketball Arena – Olympic Park, London Gymnastics – Artistic (men’s quarter-finals, plus all semi- finals and finals) Venue: North Greenwich Arena, Dates: Saturday 28 July – Sunday London 12 August Dates: Saturday 28 July – Tuesday Medal events: 2 7 August Athletes: 336 (168 men, 168 Medal events: 14 women; 12 teams in each event) Athletes: 196 (98 men, 98 women) Handball uses an indoor court measuring 40m x 20m, the largest court of any indoor ball sport at Since the Games in Ancient Greece, the sport the Games. has been considered to offer perfect symmetry between mind and body. Hockey

Gymnastics – Rhythmic Venue: Hockey Centre, London Dates: Sunday 29 July – Saturday Venue: , London 11 August Dates: Thursday 9 – Sunday 12 Medal events: 2 August Athletes: 384 (192 men, 192 Medal events: 2 women; 12 teams in each event) Athletes: 96 (all women) Men’s Hockey made its Olympic debut at Competitors perform short routines to music London in 1908, while the first women’s using hand apparatus – a ball, clubs, a hoop Olympic Hockey competition was held at the and a ribbon. Moscow 1980 Games. Judo Sailing

Venue: ExCeL, London Venue: Weymouth and Portland, Dates: Saturday 28 July – Friday 3 Dorset August Dates: Sunday 29 July – Saturday Medal events: 14 11 August Athletes: 386 Medal events: 10 Athletes: 380 (237 men, 143 Judo made its first appearance at the Olympic women) Games at Tokyo in 1964. Competitors use a mix of attack and defence in one-on-one contests, The 10 different Olympic Sailing events (six for which can be tough, tense and explosive. men, four for women) feature a variety of craft, from dinghies and keelboats to windsurfing Modern Pentathlon boards.

Shooting

Venue: The Royal Artillery Barracks, London Dates: Saturday 28 July – Monday Venue: Handball Arena - Olympic Park, London 6 August (fencing); Aquatics Centre - Olympic Park, Medal events: 15 London (swimming); and Greenwich Park, Athletes: 390 London (riding, combined event) Dates: Saturday 11 – Sunday 12 August In Pistol and Rifle events, competitors aim at a Events: Fencing, Swimming, Riding, Combined ringed target from a set distance. In Shotgun Run/Shoot Event events, competitors shoot at moving clay targets Medal events: 2 launched above and in front of them. Athletes: 72 (36 men, 36 women) Swimming A century after its Olympic debut, the Modern Pentathlon competition at the London 2012 Venue: Aquatics Centre – Olympic Games will be the first at which running and Park, London (pool events); shooting are combined into a single discipline. Hyde Park, London (Marathon Swimming 10km) Rowing Dates: Saturday 28 July – Saturday 4 August (Aquatics Venue: Eton Dorney, Centre); Thursday 9 – Friday 10 Buckinghamshire August (Hyde Park) Dates: Saturday 28 July – Medal events: 34 Saturday 4 August Athletes: 950 Medal events: 14 Athletes: 550 (353 men, 197 At the London 1908 Olympic Games, the pool women) was built on the infield of the athletics track at and the competition was The youngest Olympic champion is thought to be held outdoors. a French boy, aged no more than 12, who coxed for a Dutch pair at the Paris 1900 Games. Synchronised Swimming Tennis

Venue: Aquatics Centre – Olympic Venue: Wimbledon, London Park, London Dates: Saturday 28 July – Sunday Dates: Sunday 5 – Friday 10 5 August August Events: Men’s and women’s Singles Medal events: 2 and Doubles; Mixed Doubles Athletes: 104 (all women) Medal events: 5 Athletes: 172 (86 men, 86 women) Synchronised Swimming is one of only two events on the Olympic programme to be Tennis appeared at the first modern Olympic contested exclusively by women. The other is Games in 1896 but was dropped from the Rhythmic Gymnastics. programme after the Paris 1924 Games, before returning 64 years later. Table Tennis Triathlon Venue: ExCeL, London Dates: Saturday 28 July – Venue: Hyde Park, London Wednesday 8 August Dates: Saturday 4 and Tuesday 7 Medal events: 4 August Athletes: 172 (86 men, 86 Medal events: 2 women) Athletes: 110 (55 men, 55 women)

Table Tennis is the biggest participation sport in More than half a million spectators lined the the world. Other names for the sport include streets of Sydney to watch the first ever Olympic ‘Ping Pong’, ‘Whiff Waff’ and ‘Flim Flam’ Triathlon at the 2000 Games. reflecting the sound of the ball being struck and bouncing off the table. Volleyball

Taekwondo Venue: Earls Court, London Date: Saturday 28 July – Sunday Venue: ExCeL, London 12 August Dates: Wednesday 8 – Saturday Medal events: 2 11 August Athletes: 288 (144 men, 144 Medal events: 8 women: 12 teams in each event) Athletes: 128 (64 men, 64 women) The key attacking move is the set and spike, in which a player feeds the ball (the set) for a Over their standard white uniform, known as a teammate to power it into the opposition’s court ‘dobok’, competitors wear coloured protective (the spike). equipment. The competitor wearing blue is referred to as ‘chung’, while the competitor in red is ‘hong’. Water Polo Activity idea Venue: Olympic Park – , London Follow the Olympic events Dates: Sunday 29 July – Sunday Which are your favourite Olympic 12 August events? Talk with your classmates and Medal events: 2 use the dates provided above to make a Athletes: 260 (156 men, 104 schedule for all the Olympic events that women) you and your class are going to watch or follow. You can find out more about Water polo developed during the 19th each sport and view the full Olympic century as an aquatic version of rugby, played sport competition schedule at www. informally in lakes and rivers. london2012.com/sport.

Weightlifting

Venue: ExCeL, London Dates: Saturday 28 July – Tuesday Activity idea 7 August Medal events: 15 Get creative. Athletes: 260 (156 men, 104 Look at the images by the event names women) above. These are called pictograms and these are the official pictograms for the The aim of Weightlifting is simple: to life London 2012 Olympic Games. What do more weight than anyone else. Competitors you think the purpose of a pictogram in Olympic Weightlifting are divided into 15 is? Where might you see one during the weight categories, eight for men and seven for London 2012 Olympic Games? Can you women. design your own pictogram for your favourite sport? Wrestling

Venue: ExCeL, London Dates: Sunday 5 – Sunday 12 August 2012 Activity idea Medal events: 18 Athletes: 344 Think and discuss Think about your country. Which of Greco-Roman and Freestyle are different the sports above do you play in your disciplines. Wrestling is a body-to-body combat country? Why are they so popular? Do sport with the ultimate aim to force the back of you play any of these sports at your the opponent’s shoulders onto the ground. school? Which of these sports would you like to try the most and why? Imagine you are organising the next Olympic Games. Which new event would you bring into the Games? Think about why you want this particular sport. Work in groups to present your idea to your class. Indicative map of the Olympic Park at Games time Venues in the Olympic Park

As Host City of the Ruckholt Road Temporary Northern Spectator Waltham Olympic Games, Transport Mall Forest London will be at the centre of celebrations Eton Manor in 2012. The heart Entrance of the London 2012 Games is the spectacular new A12 Loop Road BMX Olympic Park in east Circuit Velodrome London. North-East Concourse

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C station o n co u r se Aquatics Centre Competition venues Non-competition venues Back of house Spectator services Olympic Entrance area Stadium Loop road The Orbit Newham Transport malls Tower Hamlets

Entrance point

Trees T Railway lines he G reen Stratford way Loop road High Street station Entrance Docklands Light Railway station station Warm-up National Rail station area Temporary Southern Spectator Transport Mall Metres

0 200 400 N West Ham station Reproduced by permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of HMSO. © Crown copyright and database right 2010. All rights reserved. Ordnance Survey Licence number 100046062. Olympic Stadium Aquatics Centre Basketball Arena Athletics, Opening and Closing Diving, Modern Pentathlon, Basketball, Handball Ceremonies Swimming, Synchronised Swimming The Basketball Arena contains The Olympic Stadium has been 12,000 seats designed to built on an island, surrounded The Aquatics Centre features a represent the colours of a by waterways on three sides. spectacular wave-like roof. basketball – black and orange. Spectators will reach the Stadium via five bridges connecting to other areas of the Olympic Park.

Handball Arena Velodrome BMX Track Handball, Modern Pentathlon Track Cycling BMX Cycling

The venue’s design includes a The Velodrome’s lower tier The 400-metre BMX Track has rainwater harvesting system will have 3,500 seats located been built with jumps, bumps which collects water from the around the track, with a further and tightly banked corners. The roof and uses it to flush the 2,500 seats suspended within riders will start on an eight- toilets. the two curves of the venue’s metre ramp. roof.

Hockey Centre Water Polo Arena Hockey Water Polo

For the first time ever at an The Water Polo Arena will be Olympic Games, the Hockey situated next to the Aquatics competition will be played on Centre in one of the most blue pitches. compact areas of the Olympic Park. Activity idea Getting to and from the Games There are 10 railway lines going into the Activity idea Olympic Park. It will take as little as seven minutes to travel to the Park from central Dramatise the Park London. What is the public transport The Olympic Park will be the centre of like in your country? Could it use some the Olympic Games. What do you think improvement? Think about what changes life inside the Olympic Park will be like? you would like to make and then design Work in groups and improvise scenes or your improvements. You could draw, paint create collages to show your ideas. Get or even present your ideas. creative and use your imagination!

Venues across London

The Olympic Park will host a great number of Olympic events during the 2012 Games. However, there will also be many venues outside the Park, and around London.

Wembley Stadium Wembley Arena Wimbledon Football Badminton, Rhythmic Tennis Gymnastics The biggest of the six stadiums Wimbledon is the only staging the London 2012 The Arena is already a world- remaining major grass-court Games football competition, class music and sports venue, tennis venue in the world. It has a famous arch that soars and will need very little work has recently been updated with over 130m into the sky. completed. a retractable roof on centre court to keep out any rain.

Earls Court Lord’s Cricket Ground Hyde Park Volleyball Archery Marathon Swimming, Triathlon

From exhibitions and Lord’s Cricket Ground has The largest of London’s Royal conferences to live music, Earls been ‘the home of cricket’ for Parks has been open to the Courts currently holds hundreds almost 200 years and now will public since 1637. It will also of events each year attended serve as the location for the be a major focus for musical, by visitors from around the Archery competition. theatrical and other cultural world. celebrations associated with London 2012.

Horse Guards Parade The Mall North Greenwich Arena Beach Volleyball Marathon, Race Walk, Road Basketball, Artistic Gymnastics, Cycling Trampoline The parade ground lies at the heart of London’s ceremonial In the centre of London, The North Greenwich Arena was life, and hosts the Trooping of Mall runs from Buckingham originally built to celebrate the the Colour ceremony that takes Palace to and Millennium (the year 2000) and place to mark the Queen’s provides a backdrop for formal has been transformed into a birthday each year. ceremonies and sporting events, sports and entertainment venue. including the London Marathon. Greenwich Park ExCel Equestrian, Modern Pentathlon Boxing, Fencing, Judo, Road Cycling Time Trial Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Greenwich Park is London’s Weightlifting, Wrestling Hampton Court Palace is one oldest Royal Park. It dates back of London’s royal palaces and to 1433 and has been a World Excel will host the largest has housed some of Britain’s Heritage Site since 1997. cluster of sports outside of the most famous kings and queens, Olympic Park. the most well known being Henry VIII.

Activity idea Planning new events The Royal Artillery Think about the sports facilities in your country. Are Barracks there any sporting events that you would like to see in Shooting your country? Which facilities could hold the event you want? Why not plan a new festival for your country The London port of Woolwich or community? Think about the sports that you like but has a long military history and don’t see very often. What will you need to consider the construction of The Royal when planning this new event? Artillery Barracks began in 1776. Venues across the UK

Although the 2012 Olympic Games are centred in London, many athletes will be competing in venues all over the UK.

Lee Valley White Water Centre, Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Hertfordshire Football Canoe Slalom The Millennium Stadium is situated in the A new 10,000 square metre lake has been heart of Cardiff, the capital of Wales. With constructed which will pump 15 cubic metres of a retractable roof and a crowd capacity of water into the centre’s 300m course. 74,600, the stadium will host the first Olympic sporting event: the women’s Football.

Hampden Park, Glasgow Hadleigh Farm, Essex Football Mountain Bike

Hampden Park is Scotland’s national football Spectators will be able to watch along a course stadium. It is also used for music concerts and winding through the woods and parkland, which other sporting events. offers some fantastic hills for the competitors.

Eton Dorney, Buckinghamshire Old Trafford, Manchester Canoe Sprint, Rowing Football

The eight lane rowing course is set in a 400- Home to Manchester United Football Club, Old acre park with a nature conservation area. Trafford is the second largest football ground in the UK. St James’ Park, Newcastle Weymouth and Portland, Dorset Football Sailing

St James’ Park is the oldest and largest football Weymouth and Portland provides some of the ground in the north-east of England. best natural sailing waters in the UK.

Activity idea Local Venue What sports venues do you have near you? What makes them good? How The City of Coventry Stadium could you improve them? How does your Football school and local community benefit from these venues? The stadium was built in 2005 and is home to Coventry City Football Club.

Index of venues outside London

A Lee Valley White Water Centre – Canoe Slalom

B Eton Dorney – Rowing, Canoe Sprint

C Hampden Park – Football C D Millennium Stadium – Football E Hadleigh Farm – Cycling (Mountain Bike) G

F Old Trafford – Football G St James’ Park – Football H Weymouth & Portland – Sailing F I City of Coventry Stadium – Football I A Key D B E Olympic Sport H The Athlete’s Village

The ODA is currently building the competing Activity idea athletes’ home-away-from-home: the Athlete’s Preparation Village. We all want to see the athletes perform to the best of their ability. For the athletes themselves, the 2012 Games will be one of the biggest events of their lives. Imagine you were an athlete in the London Games – what sort of things would you want in the Olympic Village to give you the best preparation possible? You might wish to think about food, drink, sleep, relaxation and training facilities.

Before the Games begin, athletes will stay and prepare in training camps all across the UK. Activity idea Once the Games start, the athletes will move to Eating well! the Athlete’s Village. What sort of things do you think the More than 17,000 athletes and officials will use London 2012 chefs have to think about this area during the 2012 Games to eat, drink, when they create the menus for the sleep, contact their families and prepare for the athletes? What would you want to eat greatest competition of their lives. The Village if you were preparing for a big event? will cater for all the needs of the athletes and Would it be the same as other athletes officials. from other countries? Comfort

Comfort is one of the most important aspects of Eating well the Village. If athletes are not comfortable, they will not perform at their best on their big day. There will be a 5,000-seat dining room to cater So, the ODA has supplied some extra-long beds. for every dietary and nutritional need of the This is a necessity for taller athletes like rowers athletes and officials. There will also be other, and handball players. more informal places to eat, including cafés. Entertainment

When athletes are not competing, they will be able to watch events and enjoy the cultural activities on big screens around the Village.

The Village will include a Village Plaza where Activity idea athletes will be able to meet with friends and Making new friends family. Athletes from all teams will share this space. This will give competitors the opportunity Why not pretend that you are an athlete to make friendships with people from different arriving in the Athletes’ Village? How countries. This spirit of friendship will make the would you meet and make friends with Games more enjoyable for competitors and for the other athletes? What might you talk the audiences watching. to them about? Think about the fact that you might speak different languages – how would you communicate? You could Stay connected act out and role-play these scenarios. If you speak or are learning a different Athletes will find it easy to keep up-to-date with language, why not use different what’s happening in the world. A range of languages in your role-play too? international newspapers will be available so that athletes can read the news from their own country. The Village will also have Wi-Fi and Internet access so athletes can contact their family and friends at home. The legacy of the London 2012 Games: what happens after it all ends?

To stage the Olympic Games, London 2012 is going to use many venues and locations around the UK. Large areas will be taken up, especially in east London, where the Olympic Park is situated. However, once the Games are over, LOCOG and the ODA have many plans to make good use of the space.

The Velodrome and BMX Track will be made into a VeloPark for public use.

The Aquatics Centre will be transformed into a public swimming facility. It will include a crèche, family changing rooms, café and a new plaza at the front of the building.

The Basketball Arena will be removed after the Games. However, parts of the Arena are expected to be reused in other parts of the UK. Activity idea The Handball Arena will be changed into a multi- Teacher’s idea purpose public sports facility. It will allow people What do you think the London 2012 to practise many indoor sports, including handball, facilities should be used for in the future? badminton, martial arts, boxing and netball. For example, what do you think the Olympic Stadium could be used for? Many of the other venues will be adapted into Develop a plan to suggest any renovation sports facilities for clubs that already exist in the you think you would benefit the wider area. community. Think about making sure your venue is accessible to as many people as The Athletes’ Village will be converted into new possible. You could present your ideas homes. These homes will be made available to key back to your class and have a vote on workers such as teachers and nurses. There will your designs, voting for the most creative also be a new school for 1,800 pupils aged 3-19. design, the most practical or the most innovative. Find out more information The Olympic Stadium will continue to be a facility about the Olympic venues on the London for world-class sporting achievement after the 2012 website www.london2012.com. Games, in particular athletics and football. An idea from Jo Daniels, Davenant

Foundation School LOC2011/IEP/1812 reserved. rights All 2007-2011. (LOCOG) Ltd Games Paralympic and Games Olympic the of Committee Organising London © are Games 2012 London the of Emblems official the and document This