Temporary Olympic Basketball Arena Leaked During First Test Event LOCOG Says

September 22, 2011

prostate helvetica, sans-serif;”>The temporary Olympic basketball and handball arena hosting next year’s competitions leaked during its first test event, the Games local organizers said.

Water got into a corridor used by athletes to access the main basketball court during a five-day test event last month because of heavy rain, LOCOG spokeswoman Betony Garner said. The stadium is the largest temporary arena ever built for the Games and opened for the London International Basketball Invitational on Aug. 16, a day before the problem arose.

Garner said by e-mail: “The leak in the athletes’ corridor followed heavy rainfall over a short period of time. The leak lasted for approximately two hours whilst the rain fell. As soon as the rain stopped the seal where the leak occurred was repaired.”

The 12,000-seat stadium in London’s Olympic Park took 15 months to build. To save money, the city is constructing temporary facilities or using existing venues, such as Horse Guards Parade for the beach volleyball.

The leakage has been repaired and there have been no water problems since, Garner said. A review of the athletes’ corridor is being carried out, she said.

Wilkinson Eyre Architects Ltd. was selected to design the arena with Sydney-based Sinclair Knight Merz Pty Ltd. and KSS Design Group Ltd. of London in November 2007, according to London-based Wilkinson’s website.