Building work has started on the Handball Arena two months early, which means all new permanent venues on the Olympic Park are now under construction.

During the Olympic Games the distinctive copper-clad, 7,000-seat venue will host the preliminary rounds of the Handball competition and the Fencing component of the Modern Pentathlon. It will also host Goalball during the Paralympic Games.

After the Games, the Arena will become a new multi-sports facility able to host a wide range of sporting activities. It will be available for community use, athlete training and small- to-medium-scale events.


Seb Coe, Chair of the London 2012 Organising Committee, said: "This is another example of the Games acting as a catalyst for change. This facility will be a high-quality venue at Games time but also provides a legacy for sport in London and the UK. The fact that Handball will have its own arena at Games time will be a great boost to the sport in this country."

Construction is now underway on the Olympic Stadium, Aquatics Centre, Olympic Village, International Broadcast Centre/Main Press Centre and the Velodrome, as well as on roads, bridges and infrastructure right across the Park.

(CD/KMcA)