IOC inspection is low on comedy and controversy

VISITS by the International Olympic Committee's co-ordination committee tend to be dry and predictably polite affairs - despite attempts by London 2012 to jazz up their visit with a trendy CoCom4 logo (you work it out).

GOOD REPORT: IOC inspection team head Denis Oswald addresses a news conference as London 2012 chairman Lord Coe looks on (Getty Images)

However, when asked for his views on London mayor Boris Johnson - whose erratic behaviour during the handover ceremony at last year's Beijing Games raised many an eyebrow - the ever-careful Denis Oswald - a consummate IOC diplomat - lowered his guard.

"He has promised not to sing at the closing ceremony," he deadpanned.

And IOC director Gilbert Felli will not have amused Arsene Wenger when asked whether he shared the Arsenal manager's concern about the state of the Wembley pitch - which will stage football events during 2012.

"In my experience, sometimes the result has an impact on the coach's opinion," he said.

"If Wembley is not fit to stage Olympic football, I don't know what venue in the world is."

British Olympic Association chairman Lord Moynihan met with the visiting IOC party this week and raised the issue of the £50 million shortfall in funding for Olympic sports, including water polo, handball, shooting and volleyball.

But he wasn't getting any change from Oswald either.

"This is a national problem and I do not know enough about the internal situation to comment on it," he added.

"However, the medal table from Beijing shows that British athletes are very successful and well supported."

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