London withdraws Olympic incentives
London 2012 Olympic bid has suffered a set-back after it was forced to withdraw a packet of incentives to athletes and other sports’ administrators.
The promoters of the London 2012 bid removed the £15 million package to lure the world’s athletes to the capital just five days after its launch.
With free flights offered within the package, it was feared that the subsidies would constitute a breach of bidding regulations.
London decided to withdraw the offers before an investigation by the IOC’s ethics committee reported.
But London 2012 chairman Lord Sebastian Coe defended his decision to withdraw the incentives package.
“If the International Olympic Committee president says he doesn’t want a bidding war, it would be foolhardy not to reflect on those remarks,” Coe told the BBC.
“I’ve done that and we’ve withdrawn those charters at the moment.
“But we continue to work out proposals that give this city the very best opportunity and the very best experience for athletes and federations coming to it.”
