Photos: London Olympic stadiums

July, 27, 2011
7/27/11
1:07
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With exactly one year until the start of the London Olympics, construction has been completed on the six main venues in the Olympic Park: the Olympic Stadium, Velodrome, Handball Arena, Basketball Arena, Aquatics Centre and the International Broadcast Centre.

"To have all six permanent venues complete with a year still to go to the Games is a great achievement, and a firm sign that we are well on track to deliver a truly spectacular show in 2012," London Mayor Boris Johnson said in a statement released by the Olympic Delivery Authority.

Equivalent to the size of Hyde Park, the Olympic Park will have five new permanent venues, 30 new bridges and 4,000 new trees and will be served by 10 rail lines.

Olympic Stadium, 2012 London Games, Summer OlympicsAnthony Charlton/Getty ImagesMore than 40,000 people have worked on the Olympic Park since April 2008.

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No autographs, please!

July, 27, 2011
7/27/11
12:45
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Britain's handball players should forget about autograph hunting during the Olympics.

"We want that out of the system as quickly as possible," said Lorraine Brown, British Handball's performance director.

Brown doesn't want to see her players chasing after the likes of Usain Bolt.

"They aren't there to collect autographs -- they are there to play handball," she said. "If they want autographs they can buy a ticket."

Photos: London handball arena completed

May, 13, 2011
5/13/11
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The handball arena became the third venue completed for the 2012 London Olympics on Thursday.

Construction of the 6,500-capacity building, which began in July 2009, kept sustainability as a priority. The field can be naturally lit through 88 rooftop sun-pipes, and rain water will be harvested in a system that feeds into toilets and other non-potable systems.

The venue will host men's and women's preliminary stages and the women's quarterfinals for the handball competition, the fencing discipline of the Modern Pentathlon and goalball during the Paralympics.

After the Games, the arena capacity will be increased to 7,500 spectators as it becomes a multi-use venue for community use, athletic training and events.

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Checking out the handball venue

January, 21, 2011
1/21/11
5:41
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We were reminded yet again of the "green theme" surrounding the 2012 London Olympics.

The Olympic Delivery Authority released pictures Friday of the team handball venue, which is set to be completed by this spring. So, where does the "green" come in? Well, according to the ODA, the venue is wrapped in 3,000 square meters of copper with a high-recycled content.

More from the ODA:

    The venue was built with sustainability at the heart of its design process. Rooftop sun pipes provide greater illumination than similar-sized conventional lights, achieving annual energy savings of up to 40 percent, while water usage is saved by the same amount through a rain harvesting system that feeds into toilets and other non-potable systems.

The venue will also host the fencing portion of the modern pentathlon. Here are a few pictures from the site:

HandballGetty Images

HandballGetty Images

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