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Thrill seekers are being given an unprecedented opportunity to try a London 2012 venue even before the world’s greatest sporting extravaganza comes to a close in September.

Lee Valley White Water Centre becomes the first London 2012 venue to open to the public on Saturday 8 September 2012. Tickets are on sale for adrenalin pumping white water rafting which will start just four weeks after the end of the London 2012 Olympic Games, during which the centre is hosting the five day Canoe Slalom competition, and two days before the end of the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

Shaun Dawson, Chief Executive of Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, which runs the centre said, “We’re thrilled that we’ll be the first Olympic venue to re-open to the public, and that we’ll be able to do that while the Paralympic Games are still on.

“We were the only brand new London 2012 venue to open ahead of the Games in April 2011 and have seen huge demand for white water rafting and paddling. We’ve had a wonderful first year with more than 155,000 visitors, 33,000 of whom have rafted and 7,000 have canoed or kayaked. We know there were many people disappointed they couldn’t take part before the Games and we’re delighted we can welcome people from September.”

Sebastian Coe, Chair of the London 2012 Organising Committee said: “Lee Valley White Water Centre has already given thousands of people the chance to experience the thrill of paddle sport. So it’s fantastic that everybody has the chance to tackle the same rapids as the world’s top athletes just four weeks after the Games – continuing the great legacy that this world class venue has already provided.”

Tickets for the new season are available from www.gowhitewater.co.uk  or the booking and enquiry hotline on 08456 770 606.

The centre has become a significant tourist attraction while also benefiting paddlers of all abilities, from grassroots to elite. From 2013, Lee Valley Regional Park Authority will also implement a number of programmes aimed at schools and community groups to give them a taste of paddle sports as part of ongoing work to deliver an enduring legacy from the London 2012 Games.

Read more about Lee Valley White Water Centre>>

Lee Valley Regional Park stretches 26 miles along the River Lee from Ware in Hertfordshire to East India Dock Basin on the Thames. The Park’s 10,000 acres comprise a diverse mix of heritage sites, nature reserves and open green spaces alongside world class sports venues, attracting over four million visitors every year.

Lee Valley Regional Park is playing an active part in the London 2012 Games. Lee Valley White Water Centre (just north of the M25, near Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire) and Lee Valley VeloPark and Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centres in Olympic Park will be owned and operated by Lee Valley Regional Park in legacy. They join our existing sports facilities which include Lee Valley’s Athletics Centre, Riding Centre and Ice Centre, to create a chain of sporting excellence across the region.