Venues – Lee Valley White Water Centre
The Lee Valley White Water Centre, located in Hertfordshire, will host the Canoe Slalom competition during the London 2012 Olympic Games. It is due to open to the public in spring 2011.
Key facts
Sport: Canoe Slalom
Location: 30km north of the Olympic Park, on the edge of the 1,000-acre River Lee Country Park – part of the 26-mile long, 10,000-acre Lee Valley Regional Park in Hertfordshire
New or existing: New
Permanent or temporary: Permanent
About Lee Valley White Water Centre
Construction on the new courses started in July 2009. The venue is now complete and is due to open to the public in spring 2011, as the only brand new London 2012 venue that the public can use ahead of the Games.
During the Games
Two new canoe slalom courses are being built for the Games: a 300m competition course and a 160m intermediate/training course. A new 10,000sq m lake is also being constructed. This will feed a system of pumps that will provide the 300m course with 15 cubic metres of water per second. The white water will be created by these pumps and obstacles placed in the course
Canoe Sprint events will be held at Eton Dorney.
After the Games
The two courses and the facilities building will remain but the temporary seats will be removed. The Centre will become a venue for canoeing and kayaking for the local community and visitors, and be suitable for beginners to elite athletes. It will also be a major leisure attraction for white water rafting. It will be owned, funded and managed by Lee Valley Regional Park Authority. The centre will offer an extensive sports development programme, run in partnership with the British Canoe Union.
