IOC Boss Says LOndon 2012 Doesnt Need Legacy

Olympics boss Jacques Rogge has told the BBC that London 2012's main stadium does not need an athletics legacy.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) chief said the main concern for London 2012's organisers should be to avoid leaving behind "white elephants".

"If the best solution is to transform the track into something else then we would be in favour of that," he said.

This would seem to mark a shift in IOC policy and open the door for a football club moving to the Stratford venue. It had previously been believed the Lausanne-based organisation wanted London 2012's organising committee (Locog) to keep its bid promise about having athletics at the heart of its post-Games plans for the stadium.

Rogge's comments will please London Mayor Boris Johnson, who has voiced concerns about the long-term viability of the 2012 venues, but disappoint Locog chairman Sebastian Coe and UK Athletics (UKA), who both wanted the Stratford site to become a focal point for British athletics.