Olympic Stadium To Host London Diamond League
The Olympic Stadium will host the British Athletics Grand Prix on the anniversary of the London 2012 Opening Ceremony – the first sporting event to take place in the venue since the Games, according to the London Legacy Development Corporation and British Athletics.
The Samsung Diamond League meeting will move from its usual home at Crystal Palace to come to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on 27th July.
Mo Farah, who won Olympic double gold in the 5,000m and 10,000m in the Stadium, said: ‘It’s fantastic that the British Athletics London Grand Prix is going to be held at the Olympic Stadium in July. The atmosphere was electric during the Games, I’ll never forget it, so it’s great that the British fans, and athletes, will get to experience that again so soon after the Games. It’ll be perfect preparation for the World Championships in August.’
The Grand Prix usually takes place at Crystal Palace and 15,500 people had already bought tickets. They will now be refunded and will be first in the queue when tickets go on sale for the Olympic Stadium, with UK Athletics saying spectators will be able to purchase the equivalent seat for the same price.
The Crystal Palace meeting is traditionally seen by a far lower amount of spectators, however with the excitement of the Games still fresh in the memory, and the possibility of going to the Olympic Stadium, the 65,000 tickets available to the public are expected to sell out.
Jessica Ennis, who experienced heptathlon success at the Olympic Stadium last summer, added: ‘It is brilliant to hear that the British Athletics London GP is going to be held at the Olympic Stadium a year after the Games. It will give athletes and fans who did not get to experience the amazing venue the chance to go there, and for those of us who had the most incredible experiences on the track and field, an opportunity to re-live a few memories!’
This announcement comes straight after the Legacy Corporation announced a deal with Live Nation to relocate two of its biggest music festivals to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park this summer, as well as staging summer concerts in the Stadium.
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park will begin to open to the public from 27th July, exactly one year after the London 2012 Opening Ceremony, although the Stadium will close following the athletics meeting.
The rest of the Park will open in phases – starting with the north park – and will be fully open by spring 2014. The transformation of the Olympic site into Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park started immediately after the Games and will take 18 months.
The £292million transformation project is called ‘Clear, Connect, Complete.’ and will clear Games overlay including the removal of temporary venues, walkways and stands, connect the Park to the surrounding areas with new roads and pathways and complete the Park’s venues to their legacy designs for everyone to enjoy.
Boris Johnson, Mayor of London and chairman of the London Legacy Development Corporation commented: ‘What better way to mark the anniversary of the tremendous London 2012 Opening Ceremony than to see this Stadium packed again as the world’s top athletes compete in this unique series.’
‘After last summer’s amazing Games we can now see the Stadium’s legacy emerging as a top venue for both international sport and entertainment. I am ever confident that in the coming years we can look forward to seeing Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park staging a wide range of major events with their organisers and audiences drawn by its perfect location and unrivalled facilities.’
