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Coe rejects 'white elephant' stadium fears
Sebastian Coe has reaffirmed his commitment that track and field will be at the heart of the legacy from the 2012 Games amid concerns over the future of the Olympic Stadium.
The London Organising Committee of the 2012 Games (LOCOG) chair appeared before a meeting of London Assembly members looking at the delivery of next summer's event.
Coe was responding to issues raised by Richard Tracey and John Biggs with regards to the future of the stadium, after it was decided the venue would remain in public ownership.
In response to Tracey, Coe said: "[The commitment] was for an Olympic legacy with track and field at the heart, but not uniquely track and field."
The stadium is at the centre of London's bid for the 2017 World Athletics Championships, and Coe insisted that there would be "no lack of demand" for the sport after the Games.
Biggs later questioned whether the venue would be left as a "white elephant" after a deal to sell it to West Ham United Football Club fell through, a claim which Coe rejected.
"It was the right decision to cut through the potential for ongoing legal challenges, and worse than that, an ongoing legal challenge that was taxpayer-fuelled," said Coe.
"It is very important we maintain that commitment to an Olympic legacy and to a mix of tenancies in there. That is the commitment we made and that is the commitment that I think we should see through."
Image: ODA
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