Published>Fri, Nov 19 10 11:26 PM
London 2012 chairman Seb Coe refused to change his mind on the re-routing of the Olympic marathon despite the threat of legal action, but said the fabric wrap around the main stadium could be reinstated.
The marathon route was changed to begin and end outside Buckingham Palace, Queen Elizabeth's official residence, after organisers said it would help traffic flow and be less of an impact on other sports taking place in the main stadium and across London.
It will now pass many of the capital's landmarks, avoiding the main stadium in a deprived area of east London.
"I will not be changing my mind," Coe, chairman of LOCOG, responsible for staging the Games, told reporters on Friday at the end of the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) latest regular inspection.
"I made the judgement on very good operational reasons that the reputational damage to this city, to the Olympic movement, to the sport of track and field, to the people of London, for the next 50 years to come if we get this wrong was not worth the risk."
But one local council, Tower Hamlets, has begun proceedings for a judicial review.
Denis Oswald, chairman of the IOC's coordination commission, said talks were ongoing to see if the boroughs which appear set to lose out could be compensated in other ways, such as being involved in the torch relay.
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The eye-catching fabric wrap around the main stadium was ditched, saving 7 million pounds ($11.16 million), after the government demanded cuts as part of its austerity drive.
Oswald said he understood that financial circumstances had changed since London's successful bid in 2005 and that although it might look nice, its removal would not affect athletes' performance.
Coe said a "number of commercial overtures" had been made to fund the wrap, but no sponsorship logos would be allowed.
The IOC sidestepped the question of the stadium's legacy, saying only that it was important to respect the bid's promise for an athletics legacy.
"As far as I can understand, if any of the two bidders will be selected this is taken into account," Oswald said.
Premier League soccer rivals West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur are the two preferred bidders to take over the stadium after the Games.
West Ham have agreed to keep the athletics track, while Tottenham are less keen.
Testing of the venues has been signed off, and LOCOG said every competing athlete will be able to buy up to two tickets for families and friends for each session in which they compete.
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