THE WORD ON - SPORT 29 TOP FIVE... Alex Winter gives his word on what lies ahead Stadiums for the £450m London 2012 Olympic Stadium 1. gairrhydd | SPORT@GAIRRHYDD.COM MONDAY NOVEMBER 02 2009
Under 1000 days until the 2012 Olympic games in London and everything appears to be moving as swiftly as the new trains from Stratford to King’s Cross. With many projects ahead of schedule and the budget just clinging to the coat tails of projected figures, but a few burning issues remain. The most pertinent of these surrounds the use of the Olympic stadium after the games are completed, and demands to leave a sporting legacy on the UK. The initial intention was for a reduced 25,000-capacity stadium to remain for athletics, but it seems that wish has been washed away under a tide of recession; such are the concerns for the regular use of such a facility. A flagship athletics stadium is exactly what British athletics needs; a beacon to which all athletes can strive to compete in – much like footballers hold a career-long passion to play at Wembley. A modern venue that demonstrates that Britain is prepared to invest in the future of athletics. Current venues – Crystal Palace and the Alexander stadium in Birmingham in particular – are dated and in need of refreshment. The Olympic stadium can provide the much needed upgrade and provide further encouragement for international athletes to come and compete in events in the UK, as well as inciting the British public to turn out for athletics events and reverse waning attendances. The National Championships, London and British Grand Prix events could all be held in the Olympic stadium, and such a high-class venue could lure the lucrative Golden League series to a London leg. If Britain shows commitment to providing appropriate facilities, athletics can raise its profile and boost the future development of talent in this country, but this opportunity could be lost if organisers are
View from inside
One of the world's most famous and prestigious football stadiums, Madrid's el Bernabeu was named as a UEFA Elite Stadium in 2007 and is set to host the UEFA Champions League final in 2010
2.
With a capacity of 98,000, Barcelona's Camp Nou is one of the largest stadiums in Europe. When filled wih Barca fans, the Cathedral of Catalan identity is electric.
3.
OLYMPIC STADIUM: Making the East End look good blinded by financial concerns. Attention has moved to finding a permanent tenant for the Olympic stadium, with several football and rugby clubs being approached with a view to taking on the stadium after the games. But all the clubs have been concerned about the logistics of transforming an athletics venue into an arena best suited for football or rugby; supporters continually bemoan the likes of Paris’ Stade de France for being too removed from the action. The oval nature of the Olympic stadium has led to county cricket clubs being approached, with the possibility of staging Twenty20 matches in the stadium’s original 80,000 capacity; ambitious plans, born out of the popularity of the recent Twenty20 World Cup in England, to attempt to rival the likes of the Melbourne Cricket Ground where up to 100,000 supporters can turn out for Australian matches. Retaining 80,000 seats could be a workable option. It could provide an innovative venue for cricket, a flagship athletics venue, and crucially remain available for future events. One finds it bizarre that such a venue would be deconstructed and the possibility of staging future major events would be lost, such as the World Championships, the 2018 football world cup and 2015 rugby world cup. However, the desire for legacy may be over-ruled by the desire to save money.
The Olympics minister, Tessa Jowell, is insistent that the stadium shall become a 25,000-seat athletics venue and declared; “we do not need another football stadium” at the Beyond Sport summit in central London, contradicting the words of the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, who claimed it would be “foolish” to rule the Olympic stadium out of contention for a 2018 football venue; Jowell, however, is determined to honour the pledge to provide a Grand Prix athletics stadium for Britain and Keith Mills, the vice-chairman of 2012, said maintaining 80,000 seats was “not economically viable”.
A flagship athletics stadium is what British athletics needs; a beacon to which all athletes can strive to compete in Indeed, economic concerns would be the primary case for reducing the 80,000 capacity; keeping such a large venue for the possibility of a World Championship in ten years time is certainly a gamble, and, as Tessa Jowell mentions, there are enough football grounds to satisfy the bid for the 2018
world cup. Another option is being investigated by the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC): reducing the stadium to 50,000. This would, prima facie, tick all the boxes: a large enough capacity for 2018 and other major events, and a manageable size to maintain for athletics. Could a good old British compromise be the answer? Exactly what the OPLC are trying to weigh up. Currently, the proposed reduction to 25,000 seats involves the complete removal of the upper parts of the stadium, leaving just the lower bowl. In order to double this, significant construction work would have to be undertaken at significant cost and could produce a stadium both too large and too small – the International Association of Athletics Federations declared their preference for upwards of 60,000 seats for a World Championship, and tenants such as Wasps and Saracens rugby clubs would never entertain the idea of hiring a 50,000 capacity ground week in, week out. The Olympic bid book stated the intention to create a lasting legacy for athletics in the UK, and the masterplan for a 25,000-seater stadium was essential to those aims, but it remains to be seen whether that plan will be persisted with, or whether the OPLC will recommend finding the bravery to seek more ambitious goals in the future.
Munich's Allianz Arena is the first stadium in the world that has a full change colour outside. Not only have the architects designed a stunning exterior, they have also succeeded in building in some atmosphere too.
4. Built for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the $423 million Bird's Nest stadium is the world's largest steel structure. Visually stunning and with a capacity of 91,000 the Bird's Nest is by far one of the Worlds greatest stadiums.
5.
It may not be one of the biggest stadiums in the world but when 80,000 Welsh suuporters belt out a passionate Land of my Fathers, the atmosphere in the Millennium is unbeatable.