London Olympic Stadium will be tested by students

5 April 2012

Athletes from Britain's universities and colleges will have the opportunity to compete in the Olympic Stadium after a list of planned test events was released today ahead of next year's Games.

The British Universities (BUCS) championships will be held in the 80,000-seat stadium between May 4-7 2012.

The London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) will sell tickets for the championships, and other Olympic test events include an invitational marathon in London in May this year.

The Olympic Velodrome will host a high-profile test event when it stages a leg of the Track Cycling World Cup in February 2012, while the BMX circuit is to put on part of the 2011 BMX Supercross World Cup.

The Aquatics Centre will host the FINA Diving World Cup in February next year before the British Swimming Championships take place there the following month.

Basketball will be the first sport to be tested at the Olympic Park in Stratford with an invitational event comprising of teams from China, Serbia and France competing against Britain's own squad in August.

The Badminton World Championships will be the sport's test event at Wembley Arena in the same month while the North Greenwich Arena will host a gymnastics Olympic qualifier next January.

The London ExCel Arena will hold test events for boxing, table tennis, wrestling, weightlifting, judo and taekwondo.

Paralympic athletes will have to wait until May 2012 to get their first taste of competitive action in the Olympic Stadium when they take part in the London Disability Grand Prix inside the park showpiece.

Weymouth and Portland will get its suitability as an Olympic venue tested during this summer's Weymouth and Portland International Regatta.

Eton Dorney will host the World Rowing Junior Championships and an invitational canoeing event in the run-up to the Olympics while the home of cricket, Lord's, will hold an Archery invitational in October.

Hadleigh Farm in Essex will welcome the best mountain bikers from across the world to take part in an international test event there in July, while a cycling road race will be held in August on the streets of London and Surrey to test the Olympic route.

LOCOG chairman Lord Sebastian Coe says London will ensure that no stone has been left unturned by the time the Games begin next summer.

He said: "Our approach to operational delivery is similar to that of an athlete - you do not want to face any conditions at competition time that you have not prepared for.

"When the world's greatest Olympic and Paralympic athletes come to London in the summer of 2012, every aspect of our delivery needs to be the best it can be. The invaluable experience we gain through our testing programme means we can "road-test" all our operational plans and make sure we have all the knowledge we need to deliver a truly memorable Games in 2012."

London 2012 testing programme (subject to change)

2011

May 30, Athletics (Marathon), Invitational, London roads.
May 30, Athletics (Race Walk), UKA 20km Race Walking Championships, London roads.
June 20-July 3, Tennis, The Championships, Wimbledon.
July 4-6, Equestrian (Eventing), Eventing Invitational, Greenwich Park.
July 9-10, Modern Pentathlon, UIPM World Cup final, Greenwich Park/Crystal Palace.
July 20-24, Volleyball, London International Invitational, Earls Court.
July 28-31, Canoe Slalom, International Invitational, Lee Valley White Water Centre.
July 31 - Cycling (Mountain Bike), Hadleigh Farm International, Hadleigh Farm, Essex.
July 31-August 13, Sailing, Weymouth & Portland International Regatta, Weymouth & Portland.
August 4-7, Rowing, FISA World Rowing Junior Championships, Eton Dorney.
August 6-7, Triathlon, ITU World Championship Series, Hyde Park.
August 8-14, Badminton, World Championships, Wembley Arena.
August 9-14, Beach Volleyball, FIVB Beach Volleyball International, Horse Guards Parade.
August 13, Aquatics (Marathon Swimming), International Invitational, Hyde Park.
August 14, Cycling (Road), London - Surrey Cycle Classic, London & Surrey.
August 16-21, Basketball, International Invitational (men's), Basketball Arena, Olympic Park.
August 19-20, Cycling (BMX), UCI BMX Supercross World Cup, BMX Track, Olympic Park.
September 1-4, Canoe (Sprint), International Invitational (men's), Eton Dorney.
October 3-10, Archery, International Invitational, Lord's.
November 23-27, Handball, International Invitational (women's), Handball Arena, Olympic Park.
November 24-27, Boxing, International Invitational, ExCeL.
November 24-27, Table Tennis, International Invitational, ExCeL.
November 26-27, Fencing, International Invitational, ExCeL.
December 3-4, Judo, International Invitational, ExCeL.
December 3-4, Taekwondo International Invitational, ExCeL.
December 3-4, Goalball, International Invitational (women's), Handball Arena, Olympic Park.
December 10-11, Wrestling, International Invitational, ExCeL.
December 10-11, Weightlifting, International Invitational, ExCeL.

2012

January 10-18, Gymnastics (Artistic, Trampoline, Rhythmic), Olympic qualifier, North Greenwich Arena.
February 17-19, Cycling (Track), UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classic, Velodrome, Olympic Park.
February 20-26, Aquatics (Diving), FINA Diving World Cup, Aquatics Centre, Olympic Park.
March 3-10, Aquatics (Swimming), British Swimming Championships, Aquatics Centre, Olympic Park.
April 2012 (exact date tbc), Football, Men's Olympic qualifier, City of Coventry Stadium.
April 18-22, Aquatics (Synchronised Swimming), FINA Olympic qualifying tournament, Aquatics Centre, Olympic Park.
April 18-29, Shooting, ISSF World Cup, Royal Artillery Barracks, Woolwich.
May 2-6, Hockey, London International Invitational Tournament, Hockey Centre, Olympic Park.
May 2-6, Wheelchair Tennis, ITF 3 Event, Eton Manor.
May 3-6, Aquatics (Water Polo), International Invitational, Aquatics Centre, Olympic Park.
May 4-6, Paralympic Archery, International Invitational, Royal Artillery Barracks, Woolwich.
May 4-7, Athletics, British Universities & Colleges Sports Championships, Olympic Stadium, Olympic Park.
May 5-7, Boccia, International Invitational, Basketball Arena, Olympic Park.
May 8, Paralympic Athletics, London Disability Grand Prix, Olympic Stadium, Olympic Park.
To be confirmed, Wheelchair Rugby, International Invitational, Basketball Arena, Olympic Park.

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