The legacy of the Olympic Stadium in East London was assured after an agreement was struck between owners E20 Stadium LLP and UK Athletics. The deal means UK Athletics will be allowed to use the stadium from the last weekend in June to host athletic events, ranging from regional and national age group events, right through to International Diamond League meetings, starting from 2016.
Local athletes in the Borough of Newham will also benefit from being able to use the onsite training facilities, as well as the running track next to the stadium. And, in addition to becoming West Ham United’s new home ground, the stadium will stage five matches at the 2015 Rugby World Cup and become a concert and community event venue.
Ensuring the legacy of the stadium, particularly for athletics, was a very important part of the Olympic process, to both the government and UK Athletics. And this agreement, along with the venue’s hosting of this weekend’s Anniversary Games and the 2017 IAAF World Athletics Championships, will see its future secured. There were fears the stadium would end up like Beijing’s Iconic Bird’s Nest Stadium, which cost $480m dollars to build and $11m in maintenance costs each year, and has been likened to a “vacant museum piece.”
The historic agreement means the stadium now has year-round use with West Ham playing its Premier League matches there between August and May from the 2016-2017 season, athletics events being held there from the end of June to the end of July, and non-sporting activities at other times. Hundreds of new jobs will also be created, and extra revenue will be generated as tourists will flock to the area to visit the stadium and watch world-class athletics action
Of particular importance in the deal is the fact junior athletic events will be held at the stadium from 2016, meaning the next generation can emulate their heroes after seeing them win medals on the track and in the field at the same place they are competing.
This weekend sees the return of some of the biggest names in athletics to the stadium, including the world’s fastest man Usain Bolt, Olympic Gold medallist Alyson Felix and, fresh from his success in Lyon, IPC superstar Jonnie Peacock.
