The 2012 School Games finals will take place from May 6-9 next year with the Olympic Stadium, Aquatics Centre, Velodrome and ExCeL Centre all hosting events.

The first three days of competition will take place at the ExCeL in Docklands but the final day of competition on May 9 will be at the Olympic Park, with the other three major venues used the day after the final London 2012 test event, which will be the London Disability Grand Prix at the Olympic Stadium.

In addition, tickets for the 2012 School Games finals will be available free of charge for family members and schools groups with up to 35,000 spectators eligible to enter the Olympic Park to cheer on the athletes.

"The School Games will be a real sporting legacy for young people from London's Olympics," said Hunt as he made the announcement here.

"The competition will use the inspiration of 2012 to transform competitive sport in schools and get more young people playing sport, long after next summer.

"The 2012 School Games finals will be the largest ever event of its kind in the UK.

"It will be an unprecedented opportunity for our young athletes to run on the Olympic track before Usain Bolt, cut through the pool before Michael Phelps and feel the speed of the Velodrome before Victoria Pendleton."

The 2012 School Games finals will be the last event to be held on the Olympic Park before the Olympic Opening Ceremony on July 27 and around 2,000 hotel rooms near ExCeL will be used as an Athletes' Village.

Approximately 700 coaches, support staff and volunteers will give round-the-clock support and advice collectively committing more than 22,000 hours of their time.

The event will be delivered by the Youth Sport Trust (YST), alongside London 2012 and Fast Track after they won a bid process overseen by Sport England.

They have been allocated £4 million ($6 million/€4.6 million) of National Lottery money and £2 million ($3 million/€2.3 million) of Government funding for the finals event.

"This is a truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the very best young sportspeople to have an unforgettable experience ahead of London 2012," said Baroness Sue Campbell, chief executive of the YST.

"To compete in our finest venues in front of large crowds with the Olympic and Paralympic Games so close will be very special.

"For the young officials and volunteers it will also be a fantastic and memorable experience."


The School Games finals - an evolved version of the annual UK School Games, which concluded this year - will be the fourth part of the new competition.

Open to all schools, there are three provisional levels of competition - class versus class, school versus school and then county or city wide sports festivals - leading up to the showcase final on the Olympic Park.

Hunt revealed that 7,700 schools have already registered for the competition and that schools have until the end of the year to get on board for 2012.

Competitions will be held in twelve current and future Olympic and Paralympic sports of fencing, rugby sevens, gymnastics, hockey, badminton, athletics, cycling, judo, swimming, table tennis, volleyball and wheelchair basketball.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for thousands of young people to be inspired by sport before the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games have begun," said London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe, who joined Hunt at the announcement.

"It will be great to see competitors and spectators enjoying the Olympic Park venues during the Schools Games and for generations to come."

The School Games will continue annually after 2012 and the ambition is for the finals to be held in the Olympic Park at regular intervals.

Details of how schools can apply for tickets for the 2012 School Game finals will be announced by the end of the year.

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