City’s new Olympic mission

Oct 11 2007 by Phillip Nifield, South Wales Echo

OLYMPIC bosses are being lobbied to bring the canoeing events for the 2012 London Games to Cardiff.

The International Olympic Association and the International Canoe Federation will be contacted after the London organisers abandoned their original plans for a canoe slalom venue in Hertfordshire because of land contamination.

That opens the prospect of Cardiff bidding to host events in a move that could see up to 48 Olympic medals being awarded in the capital.

Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium is already set to host several football matches in 2012.

Plans for an Olympic-standard canoe and slalom centre at the International Sports Village in Cardiff Bay are at a very advanced stage. Detailed planning permission for the Cardiff course was granted last month and final approval is awaited from the Welsh Assembly Government. The Environment Agency has already given its approval so work could begin as early as December with the complex opened by 2009.

Councillor Nigel Howells, executive member for leisure, said: “The news that the International Olympic Committee is looking for an alternative canoe slalom venue gives Cardiff and Wales a wonderful opportunity which needs to be grasped now.

“Cardiff has shown time and time again that it delivers its projects on time and within budget and is able to successfully host world-class sporting events. The thought of the city and Wales playing a bigger part in the 2012 Olympics is a very exciting one indeed.

“Once this facility has been given the green light by WAG we will be supporting them in making the case.”

But an Olympic Delivery Authority spokesman played down the Cardiff bid. He said: “Broxbourne is the ideal location for the canoe facilities because it is easy for athletes and officials to reach from the Olympic Village in Stratford by road and for spectators to reach from the Olympic Park by public transport. In establishing an alternative site we always intended to maintain our long-standing commitment to a facility in the Lea Valley.”

phillip.nifield@mediawales.co.uk