An overview of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
(Picture: Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park)London is still reaping the rewards of the 2012 Olympics, it was claimed today, as the 10-year anniversary of the Games was marked.
Exactly a decade after the opening ceremony in the capital, Sebastian Coe said the London Games had become the “template” for all future Olympics.
Lord Coe, who headed Britain’s 2012 bid and chaired the Olympic and Paralympic organising committee, added that the legacy of the Olympic Park “is still delivering” for the city.
“They were a Games made in Britain by people in Britain,” Lord Coe told the Standard. “So many people came together from communities that maybe didn’t think they had much in common with each other. I’m forever grateful to millions people across the UK who made it the greatest Games ever.
“I think they were the most successful Games we witnessed and they are still being used as a template when I talk to other local organising committees.”
The 2012 event saw Team GB pick up 65 medals, including 29 golds.
The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford was built especially for the Games and included the 66,000-seater stadium, now used as West Ham’s ground, an aquatics centre, velodrome and hundreds of homes.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said he was “incredibly proud of the legacy”.
His office is now working on a plan to bring the event back to the city in 2036.
“The Games helped to drive billions of pounds of additional investment in the area for new, truly affordable homes, transport links, business districts and entertainment,” he told the Standard.
“From East Bank — the largest culture and education district for a generation — to Barking Riverside and the Elizabeth line, east London has truly been transformed, and I will continue to correct the errors made in the past by delivering on my commitments to provide 50 per cent affordable housing across all new developments on the park.
“The Olympic legacy is not just about celebrating the success of the last 10 years, but looking forward to the next 10 and the years beyond that in order to build a better, fairer, more prosperous London for everyone.”
The earliest that London would be able to the event again would be 2036, with Paris set to host the next Games in 2024, followed by Los Angeles in 2028 and Brisbane the likely host in 2032.
Boris Johnson, who was London mayor in 2012, said it was “fitting” the anniversary was being celebrated on the eve of opening of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham
“The legacy of London 2012 continues to live on,” he said. “It lives on in the vibrancy of the east London communities where the Games were based, the ongoing success of our outstanding Team GB athletes and the reputation of the UK for hosting major sporting events.
“It is fitting that as we celebrate this anniversary we look forward to the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham… Once more we can say: let the games begin.”
