The Olympics are coming to Lord's

Olympic archery will take place at Lord's © Marylebone Cricket Club Enlarge

Lord's is set to become an Olympic venue in seven years' time, after London was unveiled as the hosts for the 2012 Olympics. The news, which was announced live from Singapore at 12.49pm UK time, drew a delighted response from MCC, who will now stage the archery competition.

"We were absolutely delighted to hear that London will host the 2012 Olympics - with the archery being staged at Lord's," said Roger Knight, the secretary and chief executive. "We congratulate Lord Coe and his colleagues in the London 2012 team; they have run a superb campaign and fully deserve this success. We look forward to working with them on the archery arrangements for 2012."

Although Lord's is renowned as the home of cricket, this will not be the first time that it has played host to alternative sports. The ground has rackets and real tennis courts behind the pavilion, while one of Britain's first running tracks was put in place at the ground in 1837.

A Canadian lacrosse team played an exhibition match at the ground in 1883, while Oxford and Cambridge played their Varsity hockey match on the ground from 1969 to 1991, when the fixture moved to Reading. And even baseball has had a look-in. It hosted the first match on British shores in 1874, and teams from Canada and the USA were frequent visitors until 1914.