Construction of the £200 million London 2012 Aquatics Centre is on track to start this summer after it was granted planning permission.

The independent Planning Committee for the Olympic Park approved the plans for the Aquatics Centre after public consultation was incorporated into the design development of details such as accessibility and changing facilities in legacy.

The 17,500 capacity Aquatics Centre will form the 'gateway' to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and transform into a 2,500 - 3,500 community and elite swimming and diving facility in legacy.

The Planning Committee approved the Games time and legacy plans for the Aquatics Centre which both included design developments that incorporated feedback from a programme of consultation with local people and other groups providing specialist advice on areas such as faith, community and club swimming, design and accessibility.

British Swimming Chief Executive David Sparkes said: “I am delighted we are nearing the end of the long and detailed planning phase for the London Aquatics Centre for the 2012 Olympics.

“The planning has been comprehensive and we will have a stunning facility to come out of this phase. Whilst there have been challenges, what has emerged is a pool that will deliver not only for the Olympics but also for the London community for many years to come.”

Olympic Delivery Authority chief executive David Higgins said: "This decision keep us on track to start the construction of an iconic venue for the London 2012 Games and the new community and elite swimming and diving facility that London desperately needs.

"We have appointed a world class construction contractor, the site is almost ready and this summer people will see a new landmark for London start to emerge from what was one of the most contaminated parts of the Olympic Park."

The Zaha Hadid designed Aquatics Centre is located in the south of the Olympic Park and will be the main 'Gateway into the Games', hosting swimming, diving, synchronised swimming, water polo finals and the swimming discipline of the modern pentathlon.

The Aquatics Centre will have a capacity of 17,500 during the Games, reducing to a maximum of 2,500, with the ability to add 1,000 for major events in legacy, and provide two 50 metre swimming pools and a diving pool, facilities that London does not have at present.
 
Balfour Beatty has recently been appointed to build the Aquatics Centre and huge land-bridge that forms the roof of the training pool and the main pedestrian access to the Olympic Park, construction work will start by the Beijing Games and be complete in 2011. 
 
-ENDS-

The British Olympic Association (BOA) today selected two synchronised swimmers for Team GB at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

The athletes are:
 
Duet

Olivia Allison
Jenna Randall

Commenting on their selection:

Olivia Allison:

"I'm really happy to have been selected for the Olympics. It will be my first, and to be involved in such a prestigious event is an honour. This will be a great experience and will be a stepping stone as we look towards London 2012”.

Jenna Randall:

“It’s fantastic we are going to our first Olympics and will be a great experience for 2012.  I am honoured to be selected as part of Team GB and look forward to returning to Beijing in August and showing the world what we can do”.

Simon Clegg, Team GB 2008 Chef de Mission, said:
“I am particularly delighted to welcome Olivia and Jenna into Team GB for this summer’s Olympic Games.  This is the first time that Team GB has been represented in synchronised swimming since Barcelona 1992 and shows the impact of increased lottery funding in the context of 2012.  This shows the new strength and depth of emerging talent in Olympic sports across many disciplines and I wish them both well in their final preparations for Beijing”.

 
British Synchronised Swimming National Performance Director, Biz Price:

"The duet are doing some great work and everything is going well for them. I'm very, very pleased with how Olivia and Jenna performed at the qualification tournament in Beijing in which they gave three solid performances.

The scores Olivia and Jenna have been getting have been in the high 8's, and I will be looking at the programme and increasing the difficulty of the routines as we take the next step up ready for the Olympic Games."

Both Jenna and Olivia will be available for phone interviews between 3-4pm today.

Click on individual names for biographies.
 
Notes to Editors

Team GB is expected to consist of approximately 300 athletes and a further 200 officials.

Team GB could be competing in up to 22 sports.
 
The Beijing 2008 Olympic Games will take place from 8th to 24th August 2008.
 
The British Olympic Association (BOA) is the National Olympic Committee for Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Its role is to prepare our nation’s finest athletes for and lead them at the summer, winter and youth Olympic Games. The BOA delivers extensive elite level support services to Britain’s Olympic athletes and their National Governing Bodies throughout each Olympic cycle and in the UK is responsible for the development and protection of the Olympic Movement.


For more information please contact Becki Middleton in the BOA Communications Department on 020 8871 2677 ext 215.
 

All interview requests for the athletes should go through Steph West, British Swimming Media Assistant, T: 01509 632236/M: 07917 876459.