Source: Daily_Mail
West Ham backed over Tottenham in race for Olympic Stadium by Sebastian Coe
Sebastian Coe has effectively thrown his weight behind West Ham's bid to move to the Olympic Stadium after the 2012 Games.[LNB]West Ham and Tottenham are vying for the right to move into the stadium but the Hammers would keep the running track while Spurs would not - they would instead develop an alternative athletics legacy, possibly at Crystal Palace.[LNB]The Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) are due to make a decision before March and Coe, chairman of the London organising committee, made little secret of where his sympathies lie, although he stressed he has no part in the decision-making process.[LNB] London calling: The 2012 Olympic stadium is starting to take shape[LNB]Coe said: 'We made a commitment to track and field to be a part of the legacy of the stadium so, as vice-president of the IAAF, it's not going to come as a huge shock that I am going to defend and help my sport.[LNB]'We are told that West Ham are happy to play football within a track and Tottenham have clearly said they are not. Conclude from that what you want.'[LNB]Coe confirmed that West Ham's proposal was in line with the promises London 2012 made to the IOC in Singapore when they won the contest to host the Olympics.[LNB]He also said the OPLC would in part make their decision based on bid commitments.[LNB]He added: 'It [West Ham's proposal] lives with the commitment we made in Singapore. We have had assurances that the tenders will be underpinned by the recognition that commitments were made to the IOC and to the international federations about a track and field legacy, and we have no reason to believe the OPLC will do anything to contradict that.'[LNB]Coe also looked ahead to 2011 and despite building work on all venues being on schedule, or in many cases ahead of schedule, warned there can be no room for complacency.[LNB]He said: 'I think this will be our toughest year so far. In many respects it will be much more pressured because we are getting to the business end of the project.[LNB] Who do you think should move here after the Games, David? Coe speaks to Beckham at the Olympic Stadium back in November[LNB]'Just because the building work has finished does not mean all these venues magically become Olympic venues.'[LNB]The fit-out programme and 'overlay' of the venues will become the responsibility of the London organising committee, and they will oversee all the technology, cabling, toilet and catering facilities, as well as the decoration to make them look and feel like Olympic venues.[LNB]There will also be a programme of test events in every venue starting in the summer, which Coe believes will be key to the success of London 2012.[LNB]'I have been in many venues where I have known instinctively there has not been a lot of testing,' he said.[LNB]Coe's biggest concern is not about the preparations for the Games being delayed, but of things beyond organisers' control.[LNB]He added: 'Last year a volcano erupted in Iceland and suddenly nobody could fly anywhere, and to have that happening in the week of the opening ceremony is something we would really not want because we know we have to stage the Olympics and Paralympics on the dates stated and they simply cannot be moved.'[LNB]London 2012's first major announcement of 2011 will be when 6.6million tickets go on sale in March.Details of the Olympic torch relay, which will involve 8,000 runners and go within a hour's travel of 95% of the population of Britain, will be announced in early summer.[LNB] Nick Harris: Bosses 'broke own rules' over Tottenham's Olympic bidZubar own goal and Sears send Hammers soaring up the tableWEST HAM FC
