The contractor has been appointed to build the London 2012 Handball Arena, the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has announced.

Buckingham Group Contracting won the contract through a highly competitive public procurement process and work is on track to start this summer.

During the Olympic Games the 12,000-seat Arena will host the Basketball preliminaries and quarter-finals, as well as Handball semi-finals and finals. The venue will be used for Wheelchair Basketball and Wheelchair Rugby during the Paralympic Games.

After the Games, the Arena will become a new multi-sports facility able to host a wide range of sporting activities. It will be available for community use, athlete training and small- to medium-scale events.

The Handball Arena design features external copper cladding to give it a distinctive appearance that will develop a rich natural colour as it ages. In addition the venue has a vibrant and multi-coloured interior, with retractable seating to create a flexible space. It also has 100 ‘light pipes’ in the ceiling to allow natural light into the venue.

Olympic Delivery Authority Chief Executive David Higgins said: ‘This appointment takes us a step closer towards a simple, sustainable and flexible Handball Arena that works for Games and legacy. The Arena will provide a great experience for competitors and spectators during the Games and offer a new facility for local people to enjoy a range of sports in legacy.

London 2012 to use same digital service company from Beijing Games

BEIJING, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese digital graphic service company which provided designs for the Beijing Olympics, was named a sponsor and an official service provider for the London Games Tuesday.

Crystal Computer Graphics will provide digital animations for the opening and closing ceremonies of the London Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012.

It will also do 3D visualizations of all 36 London venues and many non-competition venues such as the Olympic Village and the International Broadcast Center.

Crystal Computer Graphics was the first Chinese company to be appointed as a supplier by the London 2012 Olympic organizing committee, said Jiang Xiaoyu, vice executive chairman of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG).

The company became famous after designing the large Chinese scroll seen during the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, Jiang said.

Its digital services were also used for virtual rehearsals for the opening ceremony a year before it took place. It reduced the number of formal rehearsals down to three.

Their job saved money, time and human resources, which could bea good reference for future Games, Jiang said.

"Our excellent service for the Beijing Olympics was the key to winning the bid," said Lu Zhenggang, president of Crystal.

The opening ceremony was one of 150 projects the company jointly produced with the BOCOG.

"We will do the same things during the London Olympics to present the hospitality and enthusiasm of the British people. It's a new challenge for us," Lu said.

"The key obstacle will be differences between oriental cultures and Western cultures," he added.

Established in 1995, Crystal developed quickly over the last decade by providing digital image services for the real estate industry. Its clients include the new buildings of the Central China Television (CCTV) and the Chinese National Center for the Performing Arts.

Crystal grew from a small company in Beijing to an international company with more than 2,000 staff members. It has offices in Beijing, Singapore, London and Dubai.

"Although we proved ourselves in the Beijing Olympics, the London Games will be different. We need to be more internationalized, " Lu said.

Construction has started on the London 2012 Velodrome, in the same week as the Track Cycling World Championship’s start in Poland where Great Britains

Construction has started on the London 2012 Velodrome, in the same week as the Track Cycling World Championship’s start in Poland where Great Britain’s medal winning cyclists from the Beijing 2008 Games will be back in action.


The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) is working with contractors, architects, track designers and Beijing Cycling gold medallist Chris Hoy to make the London 2012 Velodrome the fastest track ever.

The speed of the track is determined by a range of factors including the slope of the track, the temperature and environmental conditions.

The new Velodrome will provide a facility that London currently does not have. The Manchester Velodrome, which opened in 1994 for the Commonwealth Games, has become the busiest Velodrome in the world, with an over-subscribed track programme producing 40,000 rides per year for all riders.

ODA Chairman John Armitt said: ‘The success of our cyclists in Beijing and the growing popularity of cycling in the UK will help give us real momentum as we start construction work on the 2012 Velodrome. The start of construction work is a significant milestone in our plans to create a world-class cycling venue with a record-breaking track for events in 2012. The legacy of first-class facilities will help create the next generation of champions.

‘The Velodrome is the third sports venue on Olympic Park under construction and, together with the wider cycling facilities to be built after the Games, will be another landmark new venue for London.’

The 6,000-seat Velodrome will host the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic indoor track cycling events. There will also be a BMX circuit for events in the Olympic Games. After the Games, a road cycle circuit and mountain bike course will be added to create a VeloPark that will combine cycling facilities across all disciplines in one cycling ‘hub’.

London 2012 today announced that international firm Crystal has become the sixth Tier Three Supplier to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games..

London 2012 today announced that international firm Crystal has become the sixth Tier Three Supplier to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and the 16th company to join the London 2012 domestic commercial programme. Crystal becomes the Official Digital Imaging Services Supplier.


Crystal’s creative designers will provide digital imaging services to support a variety of applications across the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG). This will enhance London 2012’s sport presentation, using images and animations to communicate with the public, producing images to assist in planning application purposes, as well as facilitating ceremony spaces and facilities.

London 2012 Chairman Sebastian Coe said: 'Sport presentation is difficult to get right, but it’s something we’re spending a lot of time thinking about. Crystal will help us deliver this at Games time. Their role is a broad one, as they will deliver our digital imaging requirements across the project – from venue images to, potentially, working with us on our ceremonies.

'It is encouraging for our commercial programme that in these difficult economic times, many companies are thinking about the long-term importance of maintaining investment in marketing and business development projects. Forward thinking companies, such as Crystal, are considering where their businesses will be positioned when the economy improves and we are pleased that they see the benefits of becoming involved in London 2012. We welcome Crystal to the team.'

Mr Lu, President of Crystal, said: 'We are delighted and honoured to be providing our digital image and animation expertise to LOCOG. We are determined to help LOCOG prepare for spectacular Games in 2012 that will be memorable for the Olympic Family and fans and television audiences worldwide.'

London 2012 is encouraging people to improve their local environment with the launch of a new 'Changing Places' project.

Working with existing environmental groups, the programme aims to secure lasting environmental and social benefits for the communities around the Olympic Park and other Games-time venues. It will help to educate, train and provide volunteering opportunities for local people.

Over 50 volunteers joined London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) Chief Executive Paul Deighton for the launch of the project at Three Mills Island, next to the Olympic Park site. They spent the day removing graffiti, cutting back overgrown vegetation and repairing a tow path by the canal.

The day was organised in association with Thames21, a London-based environmental charity which works with communities to bring the city’s waterways to life.

Paul Deighton said: 'The work being done on the Olympic Park is well documented, but it is important to remember that this work goes on against the backdrop of one of the most disadvantaged areas in London.

'People will rightly be proud of the new park that is being created, but it is just as important that people are proud of their local community. This programme will help communities come together to make the most of their area both in 2012 and beyond.

Olympic torch will only tour Britain

THE Olympic torch will only tour Britain in the run-up to the 2012 Games in London, it was confirmed yesterday.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has banned world tours of the torch following widespread protests during its journey to last year's Beijing Olympics.

People demonstrating against China's human rights record tried to extinguish the flame

during several legs of the relay, including in London.

The torch's world tour has been short-lived. It was launched for the 2004 Athens Games but then dropped because of difficulties with national Olympic committees in several countries. Last year's tour only went ahead because it had already been organised.

London had already decided to limit the flame's tour to Britain, with the 2010 Winter Olympics, at Vancouver in Canada, doing likewise.

The IOC's decision will introduce a formal ban on tours outside the host nation from 2016.

A London 2012 spokeswoman said: "We have always said the primary focus would be on a domestic torch relay, whose main purpose is to excite and inspire the UK in the build-up to the Games."

She said that 95 per cent of the UK population should be no more than one hour away from seeing the tour.

Vale Royal runner looks at London 2012 legacy

A VALE Royal AC star met a double Olympic gold medallist to talk about a legacy for London 2012.

Charlotte Roach this week joined Dame Kelly Holmes and Olympics minister Tessa Jowell MP for a workshop about how the event could benefit young people.

“It was an enjoyable and informative day,” she said.

“I am intrigued to see the results of the consultation on the London 2012 volunteering legacy and the impact that our input might have.”

The 20-year-old was one of three On Camp with Kelly athletes – a scheme fronted by the champion to help talented young female middle distance athletes to achieve their dreams – to take part.

The workshop, for young people from a variety of backgrounds took place, in London on Monday.

There Roach gave her view on what form the London 2012 legacy should take, in particular how the Olympic Games can be used to get more young people participating and volunteering in sport.

She also toured the Olympic Park.

”The workshop was a fantastic opportunity for the young people to pass on their views to the government about how the Olympic Games legacy plans should be developed,” said Holmes.

“I am very pleased that three of my mentees were able to take part.”

Roach’s Vale Royal AC clubmate Stevie Stockton is also part of the On Camp With Kelly scheme.