London 2012 venue confirmed at Woolwich

London Games organisers have finally settled on Woolwich as the 2012 shooting venue thereby avoiding a clash with the International Olympic Committee but disappointing the shooting lobby.

The British Olympic Board plumped for the historic Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich, London, saying it was the "best choice".

The decision on one of the last sites to be confirmed will please the IOC, which wanted the event staged in London for a more compact Games.

The shooting lobby, which campaigned energetically for it to be held at an existing venue in Bisley, Surrey, had argued that its site, about 35 miles outside London, was cheaper and provided a post-Games legacy, unlike Woolwich.

A third venue at Barking, about five miles outside the Olympic Park, had also been considered but will be held as a reserve option.

"It (Woolwich) is an iconic venue close to the Olympic Village, with a strong shooting heritage, and is one of the Greenwich cluster of Olympic and Paralympic venues," Sebastian Coe, chairman of the London 2012 Organising Committee said.