The IOC has a number of major blue-chip sponsors for the Olympics, who are entitled to have their name exclusively associated with the event. As a consequence, any other company that provides sponsorship is not permitted to use its name or branding during the games, which includes as part of the name of any venue. Thus, three Olympic venues were temporarily renamed for the duration of the Games:
- The O2 Arena – North Greenwich Arena
- Sports Direct Arena – St James' Park
- The Ricoh Arena – City of Coventry Stadium
Read Telegraph Sport's guide to North Greenwich Arena for the London 2012 Olympics.
Hosting: Artistic gymnastics, trampoline, basketball, wheelchair basketball
Schedule:
Artistic Gymnastics: July 28 – Aug 7
Trampoline: Aug 3 – Aug 4
Basketball: Aug 8 – Aug 12
Wheelchair basketball: Aug 30 - Sep 8
Capacity: 20,000
Fact: In June 2008, the London auditions for the fifth series of The X Factor were filmed at the arena
Post games: will continue in its existing state as music and exhibition venue.
Test event: Jan 10-18, 2011: Gymnastics (Artistic, Trampoline, Rhythmic), Olympic qualifier
Transport: North Greenwich (London Underground), Charlton (National Rail)
More commonly known as ‘The O2’ and formerly the Millennium Dome, the Arena will host up to 20,000 for the artistic gymnastics, trampoline, basketball and wheelchair basketball event.
As well as hosting the likes of Beyoncé and Lady Gaga, the Arena has proven it can also deal with the demands of top- class tennis and basketball, hosting the ATP World Tour Finals and NBA games.
The benefit of using the Arena as a venue is clear, with a number of restaurants and bars on site and a Jubilee Line tube station that has proven it can move fans to and from the venue en masse.
The Arena’s aesthetics are familiar to millions but the real surprise is the size. If the Eiffel Tower was laid on its side it would fit inside the Arena.