London 2012 unveil Paralympic venue plan

London 2012 today unveiled the venue plan for the Paralympic Games. The plan – which is one of the most compact ever - lays out all the competition venues to be used for the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

Sebastian Coe, Chairman of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, speaking to the International Paralympic Committee this morning said: “The Paralympic Games is one of the world’s most exciting and inspiring sporting events and experiences for elite athletes, and we want to ensure that our Games in London are the best ever.

"We want to set new standards on and off the track, and be a catalyst for continued change for public attitudes towards disability.

"The Paralympic Games will be a huge festival of sport with the whole of the world watching events such as boccia, goalball, wheelchair tennis and wheelchair rugby. They will leave a lasting legacy as well with the building of new tennis centre in the north of the Olympic Park.”

Unveiling the venue plan, which has been done in consultation with the International Paralympic Committee, Seb commented: “This is one of the most compact Games ever, and it will minimise travel and any disruption to our Paralympic athletes.

"I have always said that athletes’ needs should be at the centre of our plans and this demonstrates our commitment to this aim. We will provide a compact and inclusive Paralympic Games with high quality accessible venues, transport services and excellent Village facilities for athletes as well as for team and technical officials.”

Chairman of the British Paralympic Association, and London Organising Committee board member, Mike Brace said: “The venue plan confirms the Organising Committee’s intention to place the athlete and sports at the heart of Games.

"The compactness and mix of sports in each venue will ensure that not only athletes are well served but also that the public will be able to experience a variety of sports in each location.

"This is vital to maximise the spectator experience of elite disability sport. We want people with disabilities from all over the world to get involved in our Paralympic Games and have a fantastic experience by watching, volunteering and by being involved.”

The bulk of the Paralympic venues are set in two zones - the Olympic Park Zone and the River Zone. The two zones are within 15 minutes of each other, leading to one of the most compact Games ever, minimising travel times and disruption for Paralympians.

The Olympic Park will contain the main athletics stadium where the athletics and opening and closing ceremonies will take place, the Hockey Centre will host seven-a-side and five-a-side football, and the Velopark will host track cycling.

In the north of the Park at Eton Manor will be the archery and wheelchair tennis venue which will be converted post Games into a state-of-the-art indoor and outdoor tennis centre.

Three indoor arenas will host wheelchair rugby, goalball, wheelchair basketball, judo, and wheelchair fencing. The Aquatics Centre will host swimming. The athletes’ village is also set within the Park, as are the Main Press Centre and the International Broadcast Centre.

Moving south eastwards, the River Zone will see a lot of action. The Greenwich temporary arena will host sitting volleyball, Greenwich Park will host equestrian, providing a stunning backdrop. ExCeL will host boccia, powerlifting, wheelchair basketball and table tennis. The Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich will host shooting.

All these venues are less than 15 minutes away from the Olympic Park making travelling between venues easy and convenient for competitors and spectators. As a result 90% of athletes will be within 15 minutes of their venue.

All Paralympic athletes will be housed within the athletes’ village set within the Olympic Park which has been designed to be fully accessible from the outset. Paralympic sailors and rowers will have accommodation close to their competition venues in Weymouth and Eton Dorney but will also have a bed available within the village if required.

Outside the two zones, road cycling will take place in Regent’s Park in central London, the new sport of adaptive rowing in Eton Dorney, which hosted a successful rowing world championships in August, and sailing at Weymouth and Portland.