Iaaf Accuses Rogge Of Disrespecting Athletics

Lamine Diack, head of the International Association of Athletics Federations, accused Olympics president Jacques Rogge of showing disrespect to the sport when the IOC boss reportedly claimed that London 2012 did not need to leave behind a legacy for athletics.

Rogge’s comment was received by discontent by both Diack and Ed Warner, chairman of UK Athletics, both of whom claimed the need for athletics to have a permanent home at Stratford site after the Olympics has ended.

The plan for the Olympic stadium post-2012 is currently to reduce the capacity from 80,000 to 25,000 and turn it into a multi-use venue, with athletics as its main sport, with a football or rugby team using it as a home stadium as well. However, there is growing difficulty in finding a club that is willing to move to a stadium that has a track surrounding it.

Rogge’s statement toward athletics raised speculation that there is a shift in plans for the £500m east London venue, in which the track might be removed completely and the stadium handed over to a Premier League team.

Diack, however, has expressed a firm desire to keep athletics as a mainstay sport at Stratford long after 2012’s closing ceremonies.