London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe says that work on preparing the 2012 Olympic Games will be dedicated to victims of the London bombings.
Coe told a news conference, “our actions now are dedicated to those people who so grievously suffered last week. Those people who suffered will not be forgotten by anybody”.
The London bombings have brought security for the 2012 Games to the forefront. Coe said, “we made it very clear in our bid that security would be the most important concept in the 17 themes in our candidate file. Security has underpinned everything to date in our plans”.
Coe said the 225 million pound security budget for 2012 included 25 million pounds, which was specifically dedicated to internal security inside Olympic venues.
He revealed that head hunters have been appointed to look for a chief executive of London’s organizing committee as quickly as possible.
Coe said, “we want somebody who is frankly of the highest commercial quality. This is probably the most important role”.
Keith Mills, who was chief executive of the bid, will be Coe’s deputy chairman.
The two are to visit Sydney, site of the 2000 Olympic Games, to get background information. Coe said, “we consider them the high water mark of recent Games.
Meanwhile the London Olympics Bill was published Friday, less than 10 days after Britain won the 2012 Summer Olympic Games.
Normally bills have a two-week break between publication and their first parliamentary debate, but this bill has been fast tracked and a Second Reading debate in the House of Commons is scheduled for Tuesday.
Among the main provisions of the Bill is the greater protection of Olympic and Paralympic Intellectual Property. The Bill would also restrict opportunities for the commercial exploitation of the Games, which would give the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) that is being set up under the Bill, powers to conceal or remove advertising, prevent street trading in the vicinity of venues and make ticket touting a criminal offence.
