Hoddesdon pupils got to go to the Olympics early when teams from around the world competed at a test event in the borough.
Children from The John Warner School were among 120 young people invited to Lee Valley White Water Centre for the Olympic Canoe Slalom test event at the end of July.
Seb Coe, Chair of the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG), said: “The Canoe Slalom test event is vital for testing different aspects of the competition ahead of next year’s Games, including the course, timing technology, scoring and workforce. “This is the first time the course has been used for an international competition, so it really will be put through its Olympic paces.
“Any learning from the event will be built upon to ensure we run the best event possible next summer.
“Even though the test event is not open to the wider public, we are pleased to be able to offer local schools a chance to see international teams tackling the course.”
Shaun Dawson, chief executive of Lee Valley Regional Park Authority said: “It gives young people from the local area a fantastic opportunity to see over 200 world class athletes from 30 nations compete on the course a year ahead of the Games – an exciting snapshot of what is to come next year.”
The Lee Valley White Water Centre will host the Canoe Slalom events during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games. It is the only new London 2012 venue open to the public ahead of the 2012 games.