London’s Olympic Stadium is 10 years old

by Philip Barker

London’s Olympic Stadium is 10 years old.

The London Stadium, now the home of FA Premier League side West Ham United was the third in the same city to be the centrepiece of an Olympic Games, a feat which will be emulated by Paris in 2024.

The stadium was to have a capacity of 80,000.

It was constructed under the supervision of the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA).

This was an agency formed to ensure that construction of venues needed for the Games were constructed within time and budgetary constraints.

It would be “a new home for athletics, combined with other sporting, community and educational uses,” promised the ODA, as construction began, a little ahead of schedule in 2007.

At the bidding stage, it was envisaged that there would be an Olympic museum.

There was also a hub for the British governing bodies in Olympic sports, but the concept was quietly shelved.

“An Olympic Stadium with such a large demountable element has never been attempted before and the design represents the start of a new era for Olympic Stadium design – more use of temporary elements combining the high-level performance needed for a major sports event alongside the long-term needs of the community,” the ODA insisted.

The stadium was to be in a sunken bowl “designed to bring spectators close to the action,”

A cable-supported roof will stretch 28 metres the whole way around the Stadium, providing cover for two thirds of spectators.

There was also to be a fabric curtain wrap around the stadium structure, acting as additional protection and shelter for spectators.

Construction began three months ahead of schedule and by 2009, the essential outline of the stadium was already visible from the air.

“We talk a lot about milestones, but few will be more exciting than this, the unveiling of the Olympic Stadium, which will be the centre piece of our Olympic Park.  The stadium will stand for everything we talked about in the bid, it will be inspiring, innovative and sustainable,” London 2012 Chairman Lord Coe had said.

In July 2011, a section of track was installed as Michael Johnson joined children to run down a track laid on the home straight marking one year to go.

Later in the year the full running track was completed.

Paralympic gold medallist Danny Greaves, world championship silver medallist Hannah England and long jumper Chris Tomlinson joined London 2012 Chairman Seb Coe to test the track.

Although a mass participation event was also held, the first championship race in the stadium was the 400 metres hurdles at the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) championships in May 2012.

The first race was won by Justine Kinney, racing for Loughborough in 59.79.

The Games were opened by the Queen on July 27 after the crowd in the stadium watched a video sequence of her accompanying James Bond, played by actor Daniel Craig, for a helicopter journey from Buckingham Palace across the landmarks of London.

As the “Queen” appeared to freefall into the stadium, she appeared with perfect timing in the Royal box, to be greeted by IOC President Jacques Rogge.

The cauldron was lit by aspirant athletes nominated by seven revered British champions in the centre of the stadium It was later moved to its permanent position on the perimeter of the track where it was relit by Austin Playfoot, who had carried the Flame during the Relay to Wembley for the 1948 Olympics.

Designed by Thomas Heatherwick, the cauldron was made up of a series of petals representing each of the competing nations.

It was not visible from outside the stadium, one of the few flaws in organisation of London 2012.

The stadium itself hosted athletics and the Closing Ceremony and then highly successful Paralympic Games.

After protracted negotiations, West Ham United eventually took up residence in the stadium.

It has also hosted matches in the 2015 Rugby Union World Cup.

In 2017, the World Athletics Championships were also held in the same stadium.

There might yet be another twist to events as some have predicted that athletics might yet renounce its claim, enabling West Ham to proceed with a full-scale conversion to a stadium exclusively for football.