By Gary Anderson

November 8 - The Agitos will go on permnent display in the north of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic ParkParalympic symbol Agitos has returned to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park to mark 100 days since the north of the Park was re-opened to the public and to act as a permanent reminder to visitors of London 2012, considered the biggest and most successful Games in history.


Measuring nearly four metres wide and three metres high, the Agitos was displayed in the Park during the Games last year, and it will be located on the main bridge in the north of the site.

First unveiled at the Athens 2004 Games, the Agitos – Latin for "I Move" - symbolises the Paralympic motto of "Spirit in Motion" and the red, blue and green structure was hung from London's Tower Bridge during the Paralympics, replacing the Olympic rings.

Since the north of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park re-opened in July, the London Legacy Development Corporation claims more than 250,000 visitors have flocked there to enjoy its parklands, Tumbling Bay playground and Timer Lodge Community Centre.

It also claims over 700,000 people have attended a range of events held in the Park over the summer, including the Anniversary Games and music concerts from the likes of Bruce Springsteen and rap artist Jay-Z.

The Paralympic symbol on display outside the Aquatics Centre in the Olympic Park during the 2012 Paralympic GamesThe Paralympic symbol on display outside the Aquatics Centre in the Olympic Park during the 2012 Paralympic Games


























"We are delighted that the original Agitos from London 2012's incredible Paralympic Games will be displayed in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and that visitors can strike a pose in front of this iconic symbol," said Dennis Hone, chief executive of the Legacy Company.

"It is fantastic that more than 250,000 people have visited the north of the Park in its first 100 days of opening and seen for themselves all that it has to offer.

"The Park is already becoming a must-visit destination and this will continue once the south of the Park fully opens in spring 2014.

"We are on track to deliver a truly amazing Park and a fantastic legacy for East London."

As part of those summer events, National Paralympic Day on September 7 saw a host of London 2012 medal winners and Paralympians take part in a day of celebrations to mark the first anniversary of London 2012.

Fans had the chance to meet with some of the big names in British Paralympic sport, including gold medallists David Weir, Aled Davies and Sophie Christiansen, as well as attend a number of special elite events held in the Copper Box Arena which saw Team GB take on international sides in boccia, wheelchair basketball, sitting volleyball and table tennis.

Organised by the Mayor of London, the Legacy Company and the British Paralympic Association (BPA), the free to enter event also saw the staging of the Mayor's Liberty Festival, an annual showcase of deaf and disabled artists.

The Agitos was displayed from London's Tower Bridge during the 2012 GamesThe Agitos was displayed from London's Tower Bridge during the 2012 Games





















"The giant Agitos, the symbol of the Paralympics, was an iconic part of the build-up to the 2012 Paralympic Games and I'm sure many people will remember the incredible sight of them fixed onto Tower Bridge in central London," said Tim Hollingsworth, the BPA chief executive.

"The installation of this Agitos, which followed on from an identical position of the Olympic Rings to celebrate the Olympics, showed London's commitment to treat both Games equally.

"Just over a year on from London, it is fantastic to see the Agitos placed today on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park as a permanent reminder of such a groundbreaking Games.

"I hope they provide visitors with the opportunity to remember the magic of that summer and to look forward to future Paralympic Games with the same enthusiasm that they felt for London 2012."

Back in August, a permanent Agitos structure was erected outside the entrance to Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire, to commemorate its position as the birthplace of the Paralympics Movement through the pioneering work of Sir Ludwig Guttmann.

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