KEEN sportsman Prince Philip was watching from the sidelines as he was given a Royal tour of the Olympic Park today. The Duke of Edinburgh, who turned 89 yesterday, visited the site for the first time since construction began for the 2012 Games. He ha

KEEN sportsman Prince Philip was watching from the sidelines as he was given a Royal tour of the Olympic Park today.

The Duke of Edinburgh, who turned 89 yesterday, visited the site for the first time since construction began for the 2012 Games.

He had surgery on his left hand on Monday, but sporting a high-visibility jacket and hard hat, he was happy to travel 30 meters high in a hoist to the top of the Olympic Stadium.

Accompanied by Chairman of the Games' London Organising Committee Lord Sebastian Coe and Chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority John Armitt, the Duke looked down from where the highest spectator will be sitting in the 80,000-seat stadium.

Prince Philip has competed in carriage-driving and represented Britain at several European and World Championships after taking up the sport when he retired from polo in 1971.

He was told about the facilities available for the competitors as he was taken to the roof of the operations building in the centre of the 2.5sq km site to view the whole park.

The Duke, who is a Senior Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, was then shown the 17,000-seat Aquatic Centre from a viewing platform where he met with architects and engineers who are behind the 160 meter-long building.