To mark six months until the start of London 2012, the Olympic Village has been handed over by the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) so officials can start the huge process of fitting-out the new apartments ready for the arrival of more than 10,000 athletes.
The Village, which has been completed on time, will accommodate up to 16,000 athletes and officials for the Olympics, which are due to open on July 27.
Team Ireland chef de mission Sonia O’Sullivan and her HQ team will be in London in early March to agree Ireland’s accommodation allocation with LOCOG within the Olympic Village.
Besides installing the thousands of webs, the fit-out and overlay work now underway to get the Village ready for the Games includes 64,000 bed sheets and 21,000 pillows, 9,000 wardrobes and more than 170,000 coat hangers, 11,000 sofas, 5,000 bins and 5,000 toilet brushes and equipping each apartment with a television and wi-fi services
It will also be constructing the temporary 24-hour main dining facility with 5,000 seats, as well the Village Plaza Café and “Grab-and-go” carts with the Village set to provide the largest peacetime catering operation in the world with up to 60,000 meals served daily, including 25,000 loaves of bread, 232 tonnes of potatoes, 75,000 litres of milk and more than 330 tonnes of fruit and vegetables.
London 2012 also need to build the Olympic Village Plaza, the main social hub with essential shops and services for athletes and guests including a café, general store, bank, beauty & grooming salon, internet lounge, London 2012 shop and entertainment centre.
They will also be constructing the Welcome Centre, the initial arrival point for athletes and officials to be officially accredited for the London 2012 Games, and installing exercise equipment to create a state-of-the art athlete gym in Chobham Academy.
“Athletes are at the heart of the London 2012 Games and our plans for the Olympic Village will provide them with a home-from-home as they prepare for one of the biggest sporting moments of their lives,” said Sebastian Coe, the chairman of London 2012.
