A final agreement was announced Wednesday on a change of venue for two sports at the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games.
The Associated Press reports the change will save organizers tens of millions of pounds.
The badminton and rhythmic gymnastic federations have given their final approval to move to Wembley Arena in north London. The two sports had originally been scheduled at a temporary venue in Greenwich near the athletes’ village and Olympic Park in east London.
London 2012 organizers had decided last year to scrap the temporary facility in order to save about 20 million pounds, reports the Associated Press.
Sports and Olympics Minister Hugh Robertson said Wednesday, “it is sensible during these difficult economic times to make use of an existing and well-established facility. Wembley Arena will be an excellent venue for fans and participants of both sports”.
There was concern about the travel time between the athletes’ village and Wembley, but organizers have offered to house the athletes in hotels within walking distance of the venue and find ways of shortening the journey.
LOCOG chairman Sebastian Coe thanked the federations for agreeing to the change and said, “we will now work through all the detailed arrangements with them and Wembley Arena to put on firsts-class events. This is a boost to north London, which will be a hub for the London 2012 Olympics with the football finals happening at Wembley Stadium”.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) welcomed the move. Denis Oswald, head of the IOC’s coordination commission for London said, “with the venue for badminton and rhythmic gymnastics confirmed, LOCOG will be able to advance full steam ahead with its planning”.
