Blackout drapes will let London athletes sleep in

LONDON - If the sun shines on the London Olympics athletes will not have to worry about being woken up early by its rays thanks to blackout curtains installed in every apartment in the Games village.

The London 2012 Athletes' Committee, headed by triple jump world-record holder Jonathan Edwards, met to give its seal of approval to the village on Tuesday as rain beat down in the capital.

"I believe the Olympic Village we have seen today ranks among the best at any previous Games," said Edwards, who won gold in Sydney in 2000, four years after finishing runner-up in Atlanta.

"It has been built around the specific needs of modern performance athletes and I am confident they will benefit from the new features and initiatives the Athletes' Commission have helped deliver."

The 1.1-billion pound ($1.76-billion) village, created in what was once a weed-strewn industrial landscape, will house up to 16,000 athletes and officials in 2,800 apartments during the July 27 - Aug 12 Games and 6,200 athletes at the Paralympics a few weeks later.

"Grab and Go" carts will be placed around the landscaped grounds so that athletes can stock up on essentials such as porridge, fruit juice and muffins without queuing up in the main catering areas.

Athletes will also have jogging areas in the Olympic park and televisions and wifi internet in their apartments.