Mark Foster lays tiles in Olympic pool 'milestone'

World swimming champion Mark Foster has laid the first of 180,000 tiles in the London 2012 Aquatics Centre pool.

Olympic Delivery Authority officials called the start of tiling work a "milestone" in the development of the Olympic Park.

Foster said: "The aquatics centre will be buzzing during the Games and afterwards will be a fantastic new facility for the Olympic and Paralympic athletes of the future and the local community."

More than 180,000 white tiles, with blue tiles marking the lanes, will cover the 50m competition and training pools and the dive pool, which have been tested with 10 million litres of water.

In total, more than 850,000 ceramic tiles will line the pools, poolsides and changing rooms.

Work is also under way cladding the curved ceiling with more than 30,000 individual sections of timber and on the two 1,600 tonne temporary seating stands that will boost the venue to 17,500 seats for the Games.

ODA chief executive David Higgins said: "Starting tiling of the pools is another milestone towards completing the Aquatics Centre next summer ready for test events. With the covering of the sweeping roof complete and ceiling under way the venue is on track to become the gateway to the games and a new facility for community and elite swimmers and divers after the Games."