Sports	Athletics Paralympic Athletics
Capacity	80,000
Post Olympics	Converted to 25,000 seater and used by West Ham United
Architect / Builders	Populous / Buro Happold & Sir Robert McAlpine
Time to build	Four years
Cost	£486 million ($787 million)

The 80,000 capactiy Olympic Stadium will be the focal point for the London 2012 Olympic Games and its greatest legacy, boasting the largest removable seating element ever incorporated into a major sports stadium.

The legacy of the stadium has been and still is bitterly contested, with West Ham United football club originally winning the right to move into the ground after the Olympics, beating off competition from Tottenham Hotspur.

The Olympic Park Legacy Company reversed its decision to award West Ham the right to take over the venue in October 2011 as a result of ongoing legal proceedings from Tottenham and Leyton Orient, and it will remain in public ownership and rented out post Olympics instead.

In turn West Ham have called in police to look into allegations that the Premiership side hired a private investigator to find out information about the east Londoner's bid.

Away from the duo's wrangling over the stadium's future, there may also be some athletics taking place next year during the Olympic Games.

All eyes will naturally be on the 100 metres final, where Usain Bolt will face the challenge of Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell as he looks to retain his title as the world's fastest man.

In total there will be a whopping 208 events held at the venue next summer.

The Olympic Stadium is the centrepiece of the Olympic Park, which will be the largest created in Europe for over 100 years.

The Park is located on the site of a network of cleaned up and revitalised canals, with the historic River Lea winding through the park.

Historical settlements dating back the Iron and Bronze ages have been found by the river.



It was also a vital strategic barrier to invading Vikings in the 9th century CE when Alfred the Great used it to prevent Danes advancing to the heart of Saxon England.

Located on an island in the middle of the Olympic Park and connected by five bridges, the Olympic Stadium's will provide not just a lasting legacy, but some of the most iconic views of the Games.