Olympic Stadium
The Olympic Stadium in London will host athletics as well as the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.
- NDTVSports
- Updated: July 17, 2012 08:17 PM IST
Name: The Olympic Stadium
Location: Olympic Park
Events: Athletics
About Olympic Stadium
The Olympic Stadium in London will be the headquarters of the Olympic Games 2012 and will host athletics as well as the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.
It is located in the south of the Olympic Park on an 'island' site, surrounded by waterways on three sides. Spectators will reach the venue via five bridges that link the site to the surrounding area. The Stadium has a capacity of 80,000 during the Games which makes it the third largest stadium in Britain.
While the preliminary construction began in mid-2007, the official work started on 22nd May, 2008. A design of architect Populous, the track and field area was excavated from soft clay found here. There is a natural slope here which has been incorporated in the design while the exterior has a wrap made of polyester and polyethylene.
There is also a roof here which will be dismantled after the closing ceremony. It is believed that this roof will cover close to two-thirds of the seating area.
While the stadium has received mixed reactions, there was also some radiation concerns. It was reported that the site contains some radioactive substances. Officials since however have said that athletes and spectators are at no risk but that further work here after the Olympics could aggravate the problem.
Two bids have already been received for the stadium, for its use after the Olympics.
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