Velodrome impresses Olympic officials

London 2012 chiefs have been showing off the velodrome to the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The 6,000-seat venue is now 90 per cent finished and is set to be the first completed arena at the Olympic Park in Stratford, east London, early next year.

Denis Oswald, chair of the IOC inspectors who are carrying out checks on London 2012's preparations for the Games, said: "The fact that so many facilities are completed or nearly completed is excellent for us.

"Some test events at previous Games were not at the Games venue because the venues were not finished. It is good that we can look to test all the functions before the Games itself."

Mr Oswald's visit to the venue at the heart of the £94 million velodrome and BMX park at the northern end of the site was in a break from the series of talks that the IOC's co-ordination commission have had with politicians, London 2012 executives and sports officials.

The three-day inspection, which ends on Friday, has been "very positive so far", Mr Oswald said.

He added: "With more than a year-and-a-half to go, these London facilities are nearly complete.

"We are pretty relaxed that the venues will be tested and then (after the Games) used by the community.

"Certainly you are even ahead of time (in the building works) and this is very satisfactory in comparison to previous experiences we have had."

Over 75 per cent of building work on the £9.3 billion Olympic project is complete.

London 2012 chairman Lord Coe, who acted as tour guide for Mr Oswald along with Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) chairman John Armitt, described the inspection as "very busy and very productive".