Agitos returns to London 2012 Olympic Park

Find out what’s been happening in the London 2012 Olympic Park over the last 100 days. 09 Nov 2013

The Paralympic symbol, the Agitos, is featured here at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

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By ParalympicsGB

“Just over a year on from London, it is fantastic to see the Agitos placed today on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park as a permanent reminder of such a groundbreaking Games. I hope they provide visitors with the opportunity to remember the magic of that summer and to look forward to future Paralympic Games with the same enthusiasm that they felt for London 2012.”

The Paralympic symbol, known as the Agitos, returned to the London 2012 Olympic Park – now known as Queen Elizabeth Park – this week to mark 100 days since the north of the Park opened up to the public.

The Agitos was displayed in the Park during the London 2012 Paralympic Games. Located on the main bridge in the north of the Park, it measures nearly four metres wide and three metres high.

Meaning “I move” in Latin, it symbolises the Paralympic motto “Spirit in Motion.” The Agitos will be joined in the Park by the Olympic Rings at the end of this year.

Since the north of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park opened, more than 250,000 people have enjoyed the beautiful parklands, Tumbling Bay playground and Timber Lodge community centre. Over 700,000 people enjoyed the Park’s summer events, including appearances from global superstars such as Bruce Springsteen, Jay-Z and Usain Bolt.

National Paralympic Day saw thousands of visitors experience the best of para-sport and art, and as part of the commitment to securing a strong Paralympic legacy the Motivate East project is encouraging disabled people within the Olympic host boroughs to find a route into sports and physical activities.

The Copper Box Arena – the first 2012 venue to reopen to the public – has had more than 50,000 visitors through its doors since it opened on 27 July. Thousands of visitors have tried their hand at sports ranging from badminton and wheelchair basketball to indoor canoeing, as well as using the state of the art gym and other community facilities.

Dennis Hone, Chief Executive of the London Legacy Development Corporation, said: “We are delighted that the original Agitos from London 2012’s incredible Paralympic Games will be displayed in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and that visitors can strike a pose in front of this iconic symbol.

“It is fantastic that more than 250,000 people have visited the north of the Park in its first 100 days of opening and seen for themselves all that it has to offer. The Park is already becoming a must-visit destination and this will continue once the south of the Park fully opens in spring 2014. We are on track to deliver a truly amazing Park and a fantastic legacy for east London.”

Tim Hollingsworth, Chief Executive of the British Paralympic Association, said: “The giant Agitos, the symbol of the Paralympics, was an iconic part of the build-up to the 2012 Paralympic Games and I’m sure many people will remember the incredible sight of them fixed onto Tower Bridge in central London. The installation of this Agitos, which followed on from an identical position of the Olympic Rings to celebrate the Olympics, showed London’s commitment to treat both Games equally.

“Just over a year on from London, it is fantastic to see the Agitos placed today on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park as a permanent reminder of such a groundbreaking Games. I hope they provide visitors with the opportunity to remember the magic of that summer and to look forward to future Paralympic Games with the same enthusiasm that they felt for London 2012.”

One hundred days since the north of the Park opened …

• More than 250,000 people have visited the north of the Park

• 700,000 people attended the Summer Series of events

• One Agitos permanently installed

• Over 50,000 people have visited the Copper Box Arena

• On average 15,000 people visit the Park each week

• 4,039 sandwiches served at Unity Kitchen Cafe at Timber Lodge

• 90 per cent of the Copper Box Arena workforce come from local boroughs

• Over 1,600 people with an impairment across east London have tried a new sport or physical activity

• 600 local residents attended the Growing Links Fun Day

• 20 local schools have helped develop Learning Trails project

• 3,201 cappuccinos served at Unity Kitchen Cafe at Timber Lodge