South Africa makes an impact on cycling at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games

4 August 2004

While South Africa may not have any cyclists competing in Athens, there will be a very strong South African presence at the cycling events…

Hulett Aluminium, part of the Tongaat-Hulett Group, continues to compete with the best in the aluminium industry by being chosen to supply roofing material for one of the most high profile stadia for the 2004 Olympic Games.

This year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games are expected to draw millions of sports lovers to Athens in August. Spectators will be accommodated in a total of 36 venues located in Athens and its surrounding towns. One of the prestigious venues situated in the heart of the city is the Olympic Velodrome, where the indoor track cycling competition will take place.

The Velodrome is clad with Color-Tech G4, one of Hulett Aluminium’s branded roofing sheet products, which was supplied through a German customer of Hulett Aluminium. This state -of-the-art roof covers approximately 20,000m2, is moveable and spans over 145 metres.;

Designed by Spanish Architect, Santiago Calatrava, the Olympic Velodrome takes up 53,400m2 of land, and is to host thousands of spectators, who will have the opportunity to view this fast-paced sport in one of the most modern venues in the world.

“We are very proud to be associated with this major Olympic stadium. Along with having supplied the roofing material for the Beijing Opera House in China, the Changi International Airport in Singapore, and the Spencer Street Station in Melbourne, Australia, we are excited about our contribution to some of the world’s most significant contemporary construction projects,” says Richard Jacob, Director of Coated Products at Hulett Aluminium.

The export of branded painted aluminium sheet products for the building and construction industry is an important element of Hulett Aluminium’s drive to achieve its most profitable sales mix. Exports of these high value products have grown by more than 50% per year over the last three years.