It's often said that sport is at the heart of the Games, but the village is its soul...

Having experienced four different Athlete's Villages at the Olympic Games during my career – in Seoul, Barcelona, Atlanta, and Sydney – I know just how important it is to get them right. As Chair of the Athletes Committee I'm proud to play an important part in making that happen in 2012.

As a Committee, we've spent a great deal of time reviewing and inputting into the plans the ODA are putting into practice for accommodating athletes at the 2012 Games.

Today is the first anniversary of the beginning of building work on our Olympic Village. It’s been an impressive year of progress and it’s gratifying to see it rising out of the ground, and to start to be able to visualise the area we've been planning so hard for. Things are looking great for those competitors who are coming to London to create some of the most important moments of their athletic careers.

The Olympic Village being built:

The Village will help to shape the experience of both athletes and officials. It will have everything they need - from medical facilities to restaurants. Their view over the whole Olympic Park will be stunning.

It’s being planned to create a real feel of ‘typical’ London, with the homes built around communal squares and courtyards. Blocks will all have a slightly different feel, designed by different architects. Athletes need to be able to concentrate on their performance; the Village needs to be the place they can relax, recuperate, refocus.

One of the blocks in the Olympic Village being constructed:

We're planning down to the finest detail – whether it’s making sure there are enough beds long enough for the likes of the rowers or Handball players, or that that the shelves in cupboards are the right height for wheelchair users. For that matter, we’re making sure all the buildings are fully accessible – so, for example, they’ve all been equipped with state-of-the-art lifts.

The sporting venues are all just a short walk away, and the new High Speed 1 Javelin shuttles will take athletes from the Village to the centre of the capital in under 10 minutes.

The 'International Zone' will be the place to meet up with friends and families. For those who want to communicate across international distances, there's always wireless internet to keep in touch with loved ones when congratulations or commiserations are needed.

How the Olympic Village will look after the Games:

After the athletes have said goodbye to their home-away-from-home and the Games are over, the Village will play its part in regenerating Stratford City. New shopping, office, leisure, residential, and transport facilities will be available to the communities developing in the Park area.

So it won't just be the athletes who get to experience the comfort of these brand new surroundings.

Keep up-to-date with progress on the Olympic Village by viewing the webcams