Impression of the Cardiff Whitewater Centre

Cardiff hopes to host Olympic Canoeists

Jul 4 2008 by David James, South Wales Echo

SOUTH Wales’ hopes of hosting Olympic competitors before the London Games in 2012 have been boosted by the news work on a canoeing course will begin this August.

Cardiff council and the Welsh Assembly Government have finalised the funding for an Olympic standard canoeing and white-water rafting centre at the International Sports Village, Cardiff Bay. The centre will be the UK’s first Olympic-standard artificial course using pumped water and is expected to cost £13.3m, some £8.7m of which is being provided by the Assembly.

Richard Harvey, chief executive of Canoe Wales, said: "This is wonderful news for Welsh sport. This centre will be of national importance to canoeing in the UK. The centre will cater for a number of canoeing and kayaking disciplines on both the recreational and competitive sides."

It is hoped that the centre could help attract competitors for the 2012 Olympics considering using South Wales as a training base.

The centre has been designed by French firm Hydrostadium, which has designed courses for the last three Olympic games in Sydney, Athens and Beijing. A spokeswoman for the city council said the centre would be built in concrete with moveable plastic barriers to alter the difficulty of the course. It is expected to be completed in late 2009 and meet all requirements for white-water rafting and canoeing.

Councillor Nigel Howells, the city’s executive member for leisure, said: "This venue will offer-state-of-the-art facilities and will further enhance Cardiff's reputation as a city of genuine world-class sporting excellence – a real capital for sport.

"The fact that it will be of Olympic standard means that the centre will hopefully play an important role in the run-up to and during the 2012 games."

Welsh Canoeing’s Mr Harvey said the course would also help train the next generation of Olympic athletes.