Lee Valley White Water Centre, the only brand new London 2012 venue that the public can use and enjoy ahead of the Games, has opened.

A number of athletes and the London 2012 mascots were joined at the event by young people from across London as the new home of the GB Canoe Slalom team was launched.

Lee White Water Valley Centre will host the Canoe Slalom competition during next year's Olympic Games, hosting five days of action across four events.

The venue officially opens to the public on Friday 22 April, and will enable thousands of people to experience the same white water rapids that the world’s leading athletes will face at the London 2012 Games.

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The Olympic Delivery Authority started work on the venue in July 2009, with more than 150 workers on site at the peak of construction. The venue was finished on budget in December 2010, making it the first brand new London 2012 venue to be completed.

The centre has two separate courses: a 300m Olympic Standard Competition Course with a 5.5m descent, and a 160m Legacy Loop with a 1.6m descent, which will be used at Games time for training and warm-up sessions. A total of 13,000 litres of water will power down the Olympic Standard Competition Course every second, which is enough to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool in a little over three minutes.

Sebastian Coe, Chair of the London 2012 Organising Committee, said: "Seeing the Lee Valley White Water Centre open to the public is a great example of an early legacy for London 2012. This venue provides the opportunity for a new generation of water sports enthusiasts to get active and engaged in fun and challenging sports as well as providing us with a world class Olympic venue for Canoe Slalom."

(CD)