The Princess, who serves as an International Olympic Committee (IOC) member, was joined by London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe, Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) chairman John Armitt, Sport and Olympics Minister Hugh Robertson and Lee Valley Regional Park Authority (LVRPA) chairman Derrick Ashley.

There were also a number of British canoeists who tried out the Olympic competition course for the first time after Princess Anne waved a ceremonial flag to start them on a one-lap sprint.

The impressive venue is an early legacy of world-class new sporting facilities from the London 2012 Games, as the white water canoe centre will open to elite athletes - as well as the general public - for rafting and canoeing in April 2011.

Coe told insidethegames: "With the centre open to the public both before and after the thrilling action at Games time, it really does demonstrate the great legacy that London 2012 will leave for users, from elite athletes to kids from local communities.

"It demonstrates the power of the Games to inspire change and this is another world class venue that would not have been built without Britain staging the Games."

Robertson said: "This is now a major competition and training venue for elite athletes, while the public rafting and canoeing facilities will bring more new people to the sport and help leave a legacy from hosting the Games."

Before and after 2012, the venue will be owned and operated by LVRPA as a sporting and leisure facility for canoeing and white water rafting, as well as a major competition and training venue.

During London 2012, when there will be five days of canoe slalom competition for Olympic events, the 300-metre competition course will be used for Olympic events while the 160m intermediate course will be used for training and warm-up.


The race course, which sits on 10 hectare site in the heart of Lee Valley Regional Park, will feature 82 competitors in action in four events with four sets of medals at stake.

Temporary seating will be installed around the venue for approximately 12,000 spectators and after the Games this will be removed and the venue developed into the Lee Valley White Water Centre.

It will be a major leisure attraction for canoeing and white water rafting as well as a venue for future international competition and sports development opportunities.

Campbell Walsh, an Olympic silver medallist, said: "It's hugely exciting to test the rapids for the first time.

"The course looks great and I'm sure it will make a spectacle of a race for the Olympic Games."

The venue looks truly worthy of canoeing - the fastest growing water sport in the UK with 1.2 million participants - with over 150,000 cubic metres of material put in place to form the canoe course embankments and the venue landscaping - enough to fill the Royal Albert Hall.

The ODA started construction work in July 2009 and there were more than 150 workers on site at its peak.

There were five water pumps installed on the Olympic course, each weighing around five tonnes, while 62 gates were installed.

Armitt added: "As the first brand new 2012 venue we have finished, it is a clear sign of the early legacy the Games are already delivering.

"Seeing canoeists and rafters use the courses for the first time gives us a glimpse of the excitement we can expect here in 2012 and the world class new facilities that people of all ages and abilities will be able to use for many years to come."

The Lee Valley White Water Centre includes funding from Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, the East of England Development Agency and National Lottery funding from Sport England.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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