The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced the appointment of IOC member Dennis Oswald to head the 15-member Coordination Commission for the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games.
London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe said he was delighted by the IOC’s choice. He said the commission was “a strong team with a great deal of experience across many aspects of the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games”.
The Coordination Commission will be a vital link between the London Organising Committee (LOCOG) and the IOC in Lausanne.
Oswald held the same position for the Athens 2004 Games, taking over from Jacques Rogge who was selected President of the IOC.
The other members of the commission include five Olympic medallists and several members of the Evaluation Commission who visited London’s 2012 bid.
Representatives of the commission will visit London in the next month for initial talks with the organizing committee and a timetable will be set out for a program of visits and presentations in the coming months and years.
Meanwhile, the Financial Times reports that the London 2012 Games could cost British taxpayers $8.8 billion in the next 15 years while the GDP gain may only be $3.42 billion in the same period. The cost projects were contained in a confidential report sent to the government.
According to UP the government is challenging the figures, saying they underestimate the benefits from tourism, but the Times said the findings are expected to prompt ministers to tighten their hold on costs.
One official said, “we recognize that we don’t possess all the relevant expertise within the government. We have to face up to the fact that this is a project of incredible size and complexity and there’s real expertise in the private sector to ensure we deliver the Games on time and on budget”.
