London Latest - Coe Defends Stadium Legacy Plan; Cost of Olympics Within Budget

(ATR) LOCOG chairman Sebastian Coe defends the decision to ensure the 80,000-seat Olympic Stadium has a multipurpose legacy beyond the Games.

"My commitment was the one we made in Singapore when we were bidding in 2005. Made alongside the Mayor of London, the British Olympic Association and the government, it was of a mixed legacy with track and field at its heart but not uniquely," he said.

"I took it very seriously; it was made to the world of international sport [the IOC]. I think it is a commitment we have done our very best to adhere to."

Coe's comments to the London Assembly on Wednesday came a week after the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) scrapped negotiations with West Ham football club to take over the stadium after the Games, a decision made amid concerns over possible delays in post-Olympics conversion caused by a legal dispute with rival club Tottenham Hotspur.

The $760 million stadium will now remain in public ownership and will be rented out to an anchor football tenant following a new tender process.

Commenting on the OPLC's U-turn on the legacy tenant chosen in February, Coe applauded the move to avoid the damaging effects of ongoing legal challenges, rubbishing claims that the stadium could become a "white elephant".

"I do think it's very important that we maintain that [track-and-field] commitment to an Olympic legacy and to a mixture of tenants in there," he added, claiming that international events including Diamond League meeting and possibly the 2017 world athletics championships would deliver on promises made to the IOC.

LOCOG chief executive Paul Deighton also went before the Assembly to answer questions about London's Olympic preparations.

Both London 2012 chiefs underlined the challenges ahead in the nine months left until the Games open. Detailed operational planning, further testing of venues, growing interest in the Games in London, the U.K. and overseas as well as mobilizing the volunteer and contractor workforce are among the jobs left to do.

Deighton said work was ongoing in a number of areas, including venue security planning, finalizing the quota of tickets available in the next rounds of sales and talking with the London boroughs about the Olympic torch relay – further details are due in two weeks time.

Unsold tickets following the first two rounds of public sales earlier this year will go on sale in December. The phase will include more than one million tickets for the football competitions and a similar number for Paralympics sports.

In April, another one million tickets will be made available across all 26 sports as venue overlay plans are put in place and seating capacities finalized.

Asked about the location of the Olympic cauldron within the main stadium, Coe responded: "We are being coy about where the flame will be in the stadium. That is still being worked out."

When pressed about when that tidbit would be revealed, he added with a smile: "Probably on the evening of the opening ceremony."

Olympics Within Budget

Olympics organizers say they are confident of delivering the 2012 Games construction program $1.4 billion inside the British government's budget.

Olympic Delivery Authority chief executive Dennis Hone told London Assembly members Wednesday that the anticipated cost of the ODA's building program, for venues and infrastructure, stood at $11.4 billion.

The overall budget for the Games is $14.7 billion of which the ODA was allocated $12.8 billion, including a tranche of contingency funding.

"We believethat through good management and delivery to time and budget we won't use all of the contingency requirement and it will come in at $11.4 billion," Hone said.

ODA chairman John Armitt told the Assembly that the immovable deadline of the Olympics had fixed stakeholders' focus on the massive project, allowing the organization to hit its targets on Olympic Park venues and transport infrastructure.

"I think the overall self-belief and vision for the Olympics from many people had undoubtedly helped. We have received an enormous amount of support from all stakeholders and the [London] boroughs," he said.

Commenting on the successful procurement process, Armitt added: "We haven't had a significant commercial dispute."

Football Clubs Ready for Bid Battle

West Ham and Leyton Orient are moving ahead with plans to submit legacy proposals for the Olympic Stadium, both claiming they are the best fit for the venue post-Games.

The Hammers released a statement Tuesday saying: "We have always focused on our legacy plan for the stadium, and in turn the East End and London as a whole, and already have the right permissions from the game's governing bodies to tender again.

"We know we can make the Olympic Stadium work for the capacity required for a successful staging of major sporting events like the 2017 World Athletics Championships.

"Our attendances and fanbase are both on the up and we are confident that we have a revenue model and ability to generate the income that will make the stadium legacy a lasting success."

Orient confirmed that they have submitted an application to the Football League for permission to move to the Olympic Stadium after the 2012 Games.

"The Olympic Stadium is located just 1.5 miles from Brisbane Road and the club remains concerned at the potential impact of West Ham United moving so close to its home of 74 years," the O's said in a statement.

O's chairman Barry Hearn said: "We are asking for a 25,000-seat stadium and we want to see if we can get around the athletics track. It has to stay, we know that. But can we build up, if not down, and see if it's possible to get it covered while we play?

"If it isn't possible, it isn't - and we wouldn't move in with a running track between the pitch and the crowd.

"The rules are that the Football League would not sanction a club moving closer to another club if it affects the business of that other club, and there's no doubt that West Ham moving there would affect us."

More Backing for 2017 World Athletics Bid

Lawrence Okoye, the 20-year-old rising star of U.K. athletics, was named Wednesday as the latest ambassador and member of the Athlete Commission for London’s bid to host the 2017 IAAF World Athletics Championships.

The discus thrower shot to prominence in July with an age-19 world record and British all-time record throw of 67.63m.

"As a Londoner I am very excited and passionate about the future of athletics in my home city and I leapt at the opportunity to help shape our bid for the 2017 IAAF World Championships," he said.

"London has so much to offer in terms of tradition, fan support for the world’s best athletes and a fantastic new Olympic Stadium.

The London 2017 bid faces competition from Doha in the race to secure the championships.

On Tuesday, Doha unveiled five-time Olympic medalist and reigning 200m world champion Veronica Campbell-Brown as its latest ambassador.

The IAAF's host city vote is on Nov. 11.

Reported by Mark Bisson

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