Olympic swimmer and former world champion and world record holder Mark Foster laid the first tiles in the London 2012 Aquatics Centre pool.

More than 180,000 white tiles, with blue tiles marking the lanes, will line the 50m competition and training pools and the dive pool, which have already been tested with 10 million litres of water. In total over 850,000 ceramic tiles will line the pools, poolsides and changing rooms.

Work is also underway cladding the curved ceiling with over 30,000 individual sections of timber and on the two 1,600 tonne temporary seating stands that will boost the venue to 17,500 seats for the Games.

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With a unique 160m long wave-shaped roof the Aquatics Centre will be the main ‘Gateway into the Games', hosting Swimming, Diving, Synchronised Swimming and the Swimming discipline of the Modern Pentathlon. After the Games it will become a 3,000 capacity venue providing two 50m swimming pools with moveable floors and separation booms, a diving pool and dry diving area for the full range of community and elite use.

Olympic Delivery Authority Chief Executive David Higgins said: "Starting tiling of the pools is another milestone towards completing the Aquatics Centre next summer ready for test events. With the covering of the sweeping roof complete and ceiling underway, the venue is on track to become the ‘gateway to the Games' and a new facility for community and elite swimmers and divers after the Games."

Andrew Altman, Chief Executive of the Olympic Park Legacy Company, which is responsible for the long term planning, management and maintenance of the Olympic Park including the Aquatics Centre after the Games, said: "The Aquatics Centre will be an iconic building and a thriving centre for community use in the Park after the Games. Its two 50m pools and a 25m diving pool will also offer elite swimmers a world class training facility."

(CD/KMcA)