The next Summer Olympic Games will be held in London, United Kingdom on July 27 to August 12, 2012. The winning host was announced in Singapore where the 117th ICC session was held last July 6, 2005. Many believe that Tony Blair, the former Prime Minister of UK, played a key role in London's successful bid to host the 2012 Summer Olympics.
The London Olympic Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games was created right after the announcement of the successful bid and one of its major tasks was to prepare the different venues for the holding of various games. Several venues were identified representing key cities of the United Kingdom including Scotland and Wales. Five venues where major games will be held are located in London and they are known all over the world. Here are five historical and awesome venues for the 2012 Summer Olympics:
London Olympic Stadium
The London Olympic Stadium is a major venue for the 2012 Summer Olympics. The stadium is being built in preparation for the major Olympic Games that will be held here which include most tract and field games/athletics. The stadium is located in Stratford, London and is due for completion in 2011. It is estimated that the stadium will cost 469 million pounds when completed. It has a capacity of 80,000 for the Olympic Games and will later be downgraded after the Olympic event to 25,000 capacities. The stadium will host the opening and closing ceremonies and venue for tract and field athletics.
Wembley Stadium
The Wembley Stadium is located in the London Borough of Brent in London, England. It is home to the England National Football Team and a venue for pop concerts and other major sporting events. The stadium is owned by the Football Association. It has a capacity of 90,000, second only to Camp Nou, the largest in the world. Wembley is also the most expensive stadium ever built, at the cost of 798 million pounds or more than $1 billion US Dollars. The stadium has 2,618 toilets and has a circumference of 1 kilometer. About 3,500 workers were hired during the construction period. Wembley will be the venue for Football games.
The O2 (Millennium Dome)
The O2 is a large entertainment district built within the large dome-shaped building (formerly Millennium Dome) located in southeast London. The structure was completed in 1999 and was designed by Arch. Richard Rogers with Buro Happold as its Structural Engineer. For several years, the dome was closed due to some financial problems. In 2003, the dome reopened again for the Winter Wonderland 2003 experience. The Dome was officially renamed O2 in 2005 with a 600M pounds redevelopment money provided by its new management, the Anschutz Entertainment Group led by American billionaire Philip Anschutz. The O2 will be the venue for basketball and gymnastics.
Wimbledon
Wimbledon is synonymous to Tennis. It was here where the world-class tennis tournaments are held such as the Australian Open, French Open, US Open and Wimbledon itself. This popular Tennis game venue is an outdoor/grass surface and venue of The England Lawn Tennis and Crochet Club. It is located in Wimbledon, London Borough of Merton, United Kingdom.
Portland Harbour
Portland Harbour is located in the south coast of England beside the Isle of Portland, off Dorset. It is one of the largest man made harbors in the world. It was constructed in 1872. The harbour is popular location for wind surfing, sailing and diving. Portland Harbour is the venue for sailing events in the 2012 Olympics.
The Olympic Village
The Olympic Village will have 17,320 beds. Each athlete will have 16 Sq. M. of floor space. It will have TV, Internet access and a private courtyard. The Dining hall will cater to 5,500 athletes at a time.
