Rogge Confident in London 2012; Mascot in Production

London Unaffected by May 6 Vote

IOC president Jacques Rogge says he is not worried about the impact of any change of British government on 2012 Olympic preparations.

Speaking to reporters at SportAccord, he said he had discussed the possibility of a change of government in meetings with LOCOG organizers this week.

"We are absolutely at ease there," Rogge said.

"There is a multi-party support [for the Olympics] in the United Kingdom," he said, adding that the IOC had not identified any specific problems with London's preparations.

"We are pleased by the pace of construction, preparation and marketing," he added in his wrap-up press conference Thursday.

The election May 6 is considered close, with the Liberal Democrats in a position to deny Labour or the Tories the chance to win an outright majority needed to form a new government. Polls show the Conservatives are ahead of incumbent Labour.

LOCOG chair Sebastian Coe said he had assured the IOC that the British general electionwould not have any impact on preparations for the 2012 Games. He reported Thursday to the IOC Executive Board along with CEO Paul Deighton.

"The words ‘Olympic Games’ have not tumbled from the lips of a single politician," Coe said in a briefing for journalists following the meeting with the IOC.

"It’s not become a political football," he says.

"We will go on delivering seamlessly, whatever the political landscape looks like," Coe said.

"Good organizing committees, good delivery authorities go on working with whoever is there."

London Mascot in Production

Deighton says the mascot for London 2012 is now in production ahead of its release within a few weeks.

The mascot and its story line was presented to the IOC EB Thursday, apparently winning approval.

"It was much less about revealing it and much more about the narrative behind it," said Coe.

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Written by Ed Hula.