Olympic Champions witness further £6 million investment in 2012 legacy at Lee Valley White Water Centre
Maria Miller officially opens extension to London 2012 venue.
Culture Secretary Maria Miller has officially opened the Lee Valley White Water Centre’s new pavilion, after a £6.3m investment in the London 2012 legacy.
Miller was joined by London 2012 Canoe Slalom gold medallists Etienne Stott and Tim Baillie, who returned to the scene of their triumph to witness the completion of the first phase of post-Olympics development work at the centre.
Legacy in action
Maria Miller said:
Nearly a year on, the Lee Valley Water Centre is a fantastic example of the London 2012 legacy in action, and the extra investment will make it an even better venue.
The Centre was a huge success last summer for TeamGB, and today young people are getting the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of our inspiring British athletes, competing at the same venue in the schools festival.
The centre will continue to inspire future generations of athletes as part of the Olympic legacy and we’ll see the elite athletes back here for the 2015 Canoe Slalom World Championships.
Etienne Stott and Tim Baillie were in attendance to witness the next generation of paddlers take to the water and were delighted to see the Olympic legacy in action.
Tim Baillie said:
The memories of the London 2012 Games will never leave us and it’s great to see so many young people coming to Lee Valley White Water Centre and taking to the same water where we achieved our win.
We hope that we can inspire more young people to take up paddle sport and having these facilities can help to unearth the sport’s future champions.
First class facilities
The £6.3 million development project at Lee Valley White Water Centre also involves:
- building first class facilities for athletes with a state of the art gym and physiotherapy suite
- meeting rooms and offices for the British Canoe Union (BCU), the sport’s National Governing Body
- additional changing rooms, parking and viewing facilities
Lee Valley White Water Centre has attracted nearly 200,000 visitors, and is in daily use, with a number of successful legacy projects involving all levels, from complete beginners to elite athletes.
Since opening, the centre with 46,000 people having rafted at the centre and over 16,000 participants have tried canoeing or kayaking.