2012 Summer Olympic Games in London - Olympic Venues

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If you're looking for the best advice for Olympic Games wagering, you've certainly come to the right place. Here at Bookmaker sportsbook, we're examining the Olympic Games, which will take place this summer in London, England. Here we take a look at the important venues which will house many of the featured events of the Olympics.

Olympic Games Betting Online: Hosting the Olympics is a large undertaking, one which London, England has been preparing for since winning the bid in 2005. The games are set to begin in July in a variety of arenas and venues. Here is a look at some of the more common places the events will be taking place in.

The Olympic Park is the home of several venues and the Olympic venues. It is situated east of the city near the Stratford City development. The sports venues inside the Olympic Park are Olympic Stadium, the Aquatics Centre, Riverbank Arena, Basketball Arena, Copper Box and London Velopark. The Olympic Stadium holds 80,000 people and is the centerpiece of the games, holding track and field events as well as the Opening and Closing ceremonies of the games. It will likely be converted into a soccer stadium following the conclusion of the Olympics.

The Aquatics Centre has two 50-meter swimming pools and a 25-meter diving pool. It will be home to the swimming events in the Olympics. It has a capacity of 17,500. The Riverbank Arena will be used for the hockey competition. The Basketball Arena will naturally hold the Olympic basketball competition and the semifinals and finals of handball. The Copper Box will host handball and modern pentathlon events. London Velopark is a cycling venue.

These will be the main venues for a variety of events for the Olympic Games wagering.

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Copper Box

The Copper Box will host the preliminary rounds and quarter-finals of the Handballcompetition during the Olympic Games (the semi-finals and final will be held in the larger Basketball Arena). It will also be the venue for the Fencing discipline ofModern Pentathlon. In the Paralympic Games it will be the venue for Goalball.

Behind the scenes a 13,700sq m back-of-house area will include facilities for catering, security and the media. There will also be a temporary warm-up area of 1400sq m and up to 15m high.

There will be just 48 hours to get the venue ready for the Modern Pentathlon Fencing events after the Handball competition finishes. This will include removing the Handball field of play mat, laying the ten Fencing pistes (playing areas); and installing new technology for timing and scoring and new scoreboards at each Fencing piste.

Aquatics Centre

The majority of spectators will be seated in two temporary wings that will be taken down after the Games.

It will have a 50m competition pool, a 25m competition diving pool, a 50m warm-up pool and a ‘dry’ warm-up area for divers. The Water Polo competition will be held next to it in the temporary Water Polo Arena, with competition and warm-up pools.

The two venues will be close to each other in one of the most compact areas of the Olympic Park. To make the best use of the space available, some back-of-house facilities, such as space for broadcasters, catering and security will be shared between the two venues so they run as efficiently as possible.

Basketball Arena

During the Olympic Games there will be a period of just 22 hours to transform the venue from the Basketball competition to the Handball competition finals. This will include removing the Basketball posts and installing the Handball goals and field of play mat.

Afterwards, during the Paralympic Games, there will be just 12 hours to get ready for Wheelchair Rugby after the Wheelchair Basketball competition finishes, with similar changes needed.

The venue’s ‘back of house’ area will be shared with the Velodrome and BMX Track to make most efficient use of space and resources. This will include two courts in temporary accommodation and areas for catering, security, waste management and the media.

BMX Track

The BMX Track will be used during the Olympic Games to host the BMX Cycling competition.

The 400-metre circuit is located next to the Velodrome in the north of the Olympic Park.

Eton Manor

During the Olympic Games, Eton Manor will have temporary training pools for participants in Aquatics events. It will have three 50m pools for swimmers, and smaller pools for synchronised swimmers and Water Polo players.

It will then host Wheelchair Tennis during the Paralympic Games, and remain a training facility for Aquatics competitors. There will be nine competition courts and four warm-up courts. The total of 10,500 seats for spectators will include a 5,000-capacity show court.

Olympic Stadium

The Olympic Stadium is located in the south of the Olympic Park on an ‘island’ site, surrounded by waterways on three sides. Spectators will reach the venue via five bridges that link the site to the surrounding area.

The Stadium will have a capacity of 80,000 during the Games: 25,000 permanent seats in its permanent lower tier, and a temporary lightweight steel and concrete upper tier holding a further 55,000 spectators that can be removed after the Games.

Facilities for athletes within the Stadium include changing rooms, medical support facilities and an 80m warm-up track. Spectator services, refreshments and merchandise outlets will be located outside the venue on a ‘podium’ that will surround the Stadium, rather than being located within the Stadium itself.

Riverbank Arena

The Riverbank Arena will have two pitches, one with spectator seating and one for use as a warm-up area. As well as the Olympic Hockey competition, the facility will host Paralympic 5-a-side and 7-a-side Football.

London 2012 will be the first time both Olympic Hockey and Paralympic Football are played on a different colour pitch to the traditional green.

Velodrome

The Velodrome’s concrete lower tier will have 3,500 seats located around the track. A further 2,500 seats will be suspended in two upper tiers within the two curves of the venue’s roof.

In between the lower concrete tiers and upper tiers there will be a glass wall, giving spectators a 360-degree view across the Olympic Park and allowing people outside the venue to see the sporting action taking place inside.

The back-of-house area – including broadcast, catering and security facilities – will be shared with the Basketball Arena to make efficient use of space.

Water Polo Arena

The Water Polo Arena will host both the men’s and women’s Water Polo competitions during the Olympic Games. It will contain a warm-up pool and a competition pool.

The Aquatics Centre and Water Polo Arena will be adjacent to each other in one of the most compact areas of the Olympic Park. To make the best use of the space available, some back-of-house facilities, such as space for broadcasters, catering and security will be shared between the two venues so they run as efficiently as possible.

Earls Court

The Volleyball competition will be held in Earls Court. 288 athletes will take part, with the action beginning on the 28 July.

ExCeL

ExCeL will host a total of 143 sessions across a wide range of sports.

Greenwich Park

Greenwich Park will host the Olympic and Paralympic Equestrian competitions, plus the combined running and shooting event of the Modern Pentathlon.

Hampton Court Palace

During the London 2012 Olympic Games, Hampton Court will host the start and finish of the men's and women's Time Trials in the Road Cycling competition. Both the men's and women's Time Trials are free events.

Horse Guards Parade

A temporary arena will be built for the Games, with sand brought in to create London’s very own 'beach’.

Hyde Park

Hyde Park will host the Marathon Swimming and Triathlon events at London 2012.

The park is also expected to be home to the music, theatre, film and cultural events that will take place throughout the summer of 2012.

Lord's Cricket Ground

Crowds of 6,500 will enjoy the Archery competition of the Olympic Games, with one field of play inside the stadium.

North Greenwich Arena

North Greenwich Arena will host Artistic Gymnastics, Trampoline Gymnastics and the Basketball finals during the Olympic Games and then, a few weeks later, Wheelchair Basketball during the Paralympic Games.

The Mall

Following the celebrations to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and birthday, there will be a period of 36 days in which to erect the required temporary seating, scoreboards, video boards, tents, cabins and generators.

The Marathons are free events, but spectators can apply for tickets to some viewing areas. The same applies to the Race Walks and Road Cycling races.

The Royal Artillery Barracks

The Royal Artillery Barracks will provide a stunning backdrop for the Shooting,Paralympic Shooting and Paralympic Archery events. Olympic Archery will take place at Lord’s Cricket Ground

Wembley Arena

Around 6,000 spectators will be able to enjoy the action during the Olympic Badminton and Rhythmic Gymnastics competitions.

Wembley Stadium

Wembley is the biggest of the six stadiums staging the London 2012 Olympic Games Football competition. It will host the gold medal events in both the Men's and Women's competition.

It was announced in November 2011 that both the men's and women's Great Britain teams will play group matches at the stadium.

Wimbledon

The London 2012 Olympic Games Tennis competition will take place just three weeks after the end of the annual grand slam tournament.

Brands Hatch

During the London 2012 Paralympic Games, the former Formula One circuit at Brands Hatch will host Paralympic Road Cycling. Both the Road Race and Time Trial events will be held at the venue.

The riders will race round a course that passes through the Kent county and the district of Sevenoaks in Kent. Brands Hatch will be the base of approximately half of the course, including the start and finish.

City of Coventry Stadium

The stadium will play host to 12 Football matches during the Games, including the women's bronze medal match.

Eton Dorney

Eton Dorney will be the venue for Rowing, Paralympic Rowing and Canoe Sprint events during the London 2012 Games.

Hadleigh Farm

Hadleigh Farm will host the Mountain Bike competition.

Spectators will be able to watch the action along a course winding through woods and parkland.

Hampden Park

The stadium will host a total of eight Olympic Football matches, with action in both the men's and women's competitions.

Lee Valley White Water Centre

Two new canoe slalom courses have been built for the Games: a 300m competition course and a 160m intermediate/training course. A 10,000sq m lake feeds a system of pumps that provide the 300m course with 15 cubic metres of water per second. The white water is created by these pumps and obstacles placed in the course.

Canoe Sprint events will be held at Eton Dorney.

Millennium Stadium

The Millennium Stadium has the honour of hosting the very first event of the Olympic Games, with women's Football matches starting on 25 July. It will also host the men's bronze medal match.

It was announced in November 2011 that both the men's and women's Great Britain teams will play group matches at the stadium.

Old Trafford

Old Trafford will host nine Football matches during the Olympic Games, including a semi-final in both the men's and women's competitions.

It was announced in November 2011 that the men's Great Britain team will play a group match at the stadium.

St James' Park

St James' park will host a total of nine matches, including a quarter-final in both the men's and women's competitions.

Weymouth and Portland

Weymouth and Portland Bay is a natural amphitheatre and there are several vantage points to watch the Sailing events from if you do not have a ticket. The Local Authority will be also providing a big screen to watch the Games coverage on Weymouth beach, and putting on a range of free sporting and cultural activities.

There is no seated ticketing for the Sailing event, so spectators will be sitting on the ground or standing.. 

IBC/MPC

During the Games the IBC will include a 12,000 sq m catering village serving 50,000 meals per day. There will also be a 200m-long High Street between the MPC and IBC featuring outlets such as banks, newsagents, travel agents and a post office. 

The MPC includes 29,000sq m of ‘green’ office space with four storeys of workspace for journalists and photographers during the Games. It has an innovative design that enables the building to be adapted after the Games for either a single tenant in the whole building or on each floor, as well as multiple tenants on each floor. The MPC includes state-of-the-art utilities, power and digital connectivity during and after the Games.

A Media Transport Mall providing a coach drop-off, car parking, accreditation and security screening during the Games will provide car parking spaces to tenants after 2012, alongside walking, cycling and public transport connections.

Olympic Village

During the Games, the Olympic and Paralympic Village will comprise residential apartments for thousands of athletes and officials, along with shops, restaurants, medical, media and leisure facilities. 

The Village also includes a 'Village Plaza’ where athletes can meet with friends and family. The plan retains London's tradition of building homes around communal squares and courtyards, with water features accentuating the closeness of the River Lea.

Athletes will have an inspirational view over the Park. Every apartment will provide comfortable accommodation and state-of-the-art communications facilities, including internet access and wireless networking. All the apartment blocks will be fully accessible and equipped with modern lifts.

Athletes will have easy access to the travel and leisure facilities of the adjacent Stratford City complex, and the High Speed 1 Javelin® shuttle service will link the Village to central London in just seven minutes.

During the Games, the Village will include ‘back of house’ operations, and services for athletes such as catering and transport. The majority of these will be accommodated in temporary structures on sites that can be cleared for development immediately after the Games. 

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