One of the unique aspects of the Olympic Games is the Athletes’ Village – a huge international melting pot of over 16,000 athletes from all the different sports and countries competing at the Games.

The London Olympic Village is shaping up to be a fantastic “home away from home” for the athletes of the world.  The attention to detail shown by the Organising Committee (LOCOG) and the developers means that it is promising to be one of the best. 

In July, over 400 of Australia’s finest athletes will pour into the Village in London’s north-east suburb of Stratford. So what will it be like for them?

There are over 3,000 apartments in 10 accommodation blocks for the Teams, each of which surrounds a central courtyard.

“These courtyards will become great places for athletes to relax and to mingle with their counterparts from around the world,” 2012 Australian Team Chief Operating Officer Craig Phillips said.

“For the Australian Team, the courtyard will provide a wonderful opportunity for Village Activities Coordinator, Laurie Lawrence to lead our team building activities such as barbeques and talent nights etc.”

Together with Chef de Mission Nick Green and Deputy Chefs Chris Fydler and Kitty Chiller, Phillips has been on a number of planning visits to the Village and is nothing but impressed with what he has seen.

“One of the great aspects of the London Village is its close proximity to the sports venues in London Olympic Park,” he said. “Its compact nature, as compared to previous Villages, means that walking times will be greatly reduced – this is a bonus for those wanting to conserve their energy for training and competition.

“The London Village will be an exciting and vibrant place – it will have a wonderful buzz. The Australian Team is renowned for its cheer squads and having the venues for basketball, cycling, hockey, swimming and athletics on the doorstep of the Village will see Australian Team members out in force.”

So what is the most important aspect of the Village – how comfy the beds are; the proximity to transport and venues? Ask any athlete and they are likely to give you the same answer – the dining hall of course.

The size of three football fields, the dining hall will be able to house over 5,000 athletes at any one time where they will be able to fill up on a wide range of international food and drinks. The hall which often becomes the centrepoint for athletes in the Village, will also house the world’s largest McDonalds with 1500 seats over two storeys.

In addition to these traditional Olympic dining hall experiences, LOCOG have instigated some innovations for 2012. Dotted around the Village will be “grab and go” carts for athletes to get light snacks on the run. There will also be al fresco dining areas which will showcase some of the best contemporary British cuisine. And for those that haven’t done enough celebrity spotting with the thousands of famous athletes around each corner, there will even be visits from some of Britain’s celebrity chefs. After competition, Australia’s superfish and celebrity chef Eamon Sullivan will no doubt be in his element.

With hairdressers, entertainment areas, shops, tourism kiosks, banks and post offices in the Village, it truly will be a home away from home for the athletes with no shortage of things to do during their stay.

Alice Wheeler
Australian Olympic Committee