A statue of the Greek Goddess of Nike was unveiled in Woolwich today.

A statue of the Greek Goddess of Victory given to London by the Ancient City of Olympia was unveiled today as part of the legacy of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The four-metre high stature of Nike, created by world-renowned sculptor Pavlos Angelos Kougioumtzis, sits in front of the Dial Arch on the Royal Arsenal Riverside in Woolwich.

It was unveiled by Cllr Chris Roberts, leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, together with the sculptor.

Members of The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery formed a mounted guard at the ceremony, which was marked with a fanfare by a bugler from the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment. Both regiments are stationed at nearby Woolwich Barracks, which hosted the shooting events in the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and the Paralympic archery events.

Cllr Roberts said, “Royal Greenwich is proud and honoured to receive this sculpture, on behalf of London, from the ancient city of Olympia.

“In Greenwich, and in London as a whole, the opportunity to host the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games has been welcomed wholeheartedly by the community, and as they draw to a close it is clear that the Games have indeed lived up to their promise of inspiring future generations.

“The feats of sporting excellence from athletes across the globe have been an inspiration for us all, and we have been honoured to witness the Olympic and Paralympic spirit and ideals being lived out in our own city over these past six weeks.

“The arrival of Nike in the Royal Arsenal today is an important contribution to the cultural legacy of these Games. Her siting here is a fitting encounter between the old and the new, with this ancient Goddess now taking her place in a site that represents the kind of regenerated modern urban community that London’s civic leaders are keen to build.”

The Ancient City of Olympia, which is the site for the lighting of the Olympic Torch, initiated the tradition of presenting a statue of Nike to each Olympic and Paralympic host city in 1996 to mark the centenary of the modern Olympic era.