Coe determined to keep London 2012 Olympic Stadium for athletics

LONDON 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe has reiterated his desire to keep the Olympic Stadium for track and field events after the Games.

UP IN THE AIR: Despite Coe's pleas no final decision has been made on the legacy of the
London 2012 Olympic Stadium (Getty Images)

Coe has been a vocal supporter of keeping the 80,000-seater stadium for athletics post-Games despite interest from a number of other sports.

A number of nearby football, rugby union and rugby league clubs have been sounded out about tenancy and most recently West Ham's new owners David Gold and David Sullivan have expressed an interest in using the stadium.

The £500m stadium, in keeping with the initial legacy plans, is expected to be reduced in size to have a more manageable 30,000 capacity.

Both Mayor of London Boris Johnson and Conservative shadow Olympics minister Hugh Robertson have been careful to keep options open for its use.

But Coe assured IOC members in Vancouver, and in particular international athletics president Lamine Diack, that athletics was going to remain at the forefront of their stadium plans.

 "It's non-negotiable that this is a track and field facility and the president of the International Association of Athletics Federations knows that," said Coe.

"But we have also made it clear we would explore other sports sharing the stadium.

"It is sensible to look at other options for income streams and community use."