London 2012 Test Events Conclude

"Of course there will be some lessons learned from each event, but we have not had to make any major changes to any of our venues or our plans. We are in great shape and on course to stage the world’s greatest sporting event."

The London 2012 Organizing Committee (LOCOG) Chair Seb Coe hailed the London Prepares series a success as the final London 2012 test event - the Visa London Disability Athletics Challenge - concluded yesterday (8 May) as the last of 42 events.

In less than 12 months, LOCOG has delivered a total of 42 test events, 6 of which were Paralympic, in 28 venues allowing approximately 350,000 spectators to enjoy world class sport.

25,000 workforce were involved in the London Prepares Series including many Games Makers who will volunteer over the summer.

Seb Coe, LOCOG Chair described the London 2012 test events as a success: “We set out to run events which would test the venues, the sporting field of play and our workforce, whilst at the same time allowing members of the public to enjoy world class sport in an Olympic setting.

“We have done just this and all these events, without exception, have gone well. Of course there will be some lessons learned from each event, but we have not had to make any major changes to any of our venues or our plans. We are in great shape and on course to stage the world’s greatest sporting event.”

Over the past six days the final seven test events have taken place, five of which were within in the Olympic Park, enabling Park operations including spectator flows, security and ticketing to be tested.

The most recent London Prepares series events saw Great Britain win three gold medals (BC1 and BC2 Mixed Individual events, and the BC3 Mixed Pairs event) at the London Boccia Invitational 2012 with Greece winning gold in the BC3 Mixed Individual event and Republic of Korea taking gold in the BC1-2 Mixed Team event.

Despite some challenging weather, all the matches took place at the Eton Manor Wheelchair Tennis International with Robin Ammerlaan and Esther Vergeer of the Netherlands clinching the Men’s and Women's Singles titles respectively.

Four world records were broken at the Visa London Disability Athletics Challenge, supported by UK Sport, by three British athletes - Richard Whitehead (200m T42), Hannah Cockroft (100m T34) and Paul Blake (1500m T36) – and Ireland’s Michael McKillop, who clocked a new world record time in the men’s 1500m T37 in 3:59.54.

Outside the Olympic Park, Paralympic archery champions Danielle Brown and John Stubbs claimed silver in the women’s and men’s compound while Britain's John Cavanagh took bronze in the compound W1 event at the London Para Archery International Tournament which took place at the Royal Artillery Barracks.

The end of April also saw Australia take victory over Great Britain in the London International Invitational Wheelchair Rugby Tournament.