Apr 21, 2006, 16:34 GMT
London - The International Olympic Committee on Friday completed its first official inspection tour of the 2012 host city of London, naming the planning 'ambitious and visionary.'
IOC members were given a first look at the start of construction at Olympic Park and at the new Stratford International Railway Station, to link Olympic Park with the city centre, and the Channel Tunnel for trips to Paris and Brussels.
'We were able to see the first, early signs of the huge transformation that will follow when we saw the work being done to bury electricity cables in the Stratford area,' said the IOC co- ordination committee head Denis Ostwald.
'London's project is ambitious and visionary, but as sporting people we admire this ambition and look forward to playing our part in London's Olympic journey,' he said.
The IOC also heard first progress reports in many areas of the games ranging from venue construction to accommodation, finance, transport and the environment during the three-day visit.
London officials have said they will make some changes at Olympic Park compared to the plans with which London beat Paris in an IOC vote from July 2005 for the right to host the 2012 Games.
London Organizing Committee (LOCOG) head Sebastian Coe said the first visit allowed London to highlight its commitment to a lasting legacy.
'We are united in our desire to see spectacular Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in 2012. We are also committed to ensuring that the games leave a lasting legacy of social, environmental, economic and community benefits for London, the UK and for sport that demonstrate the power of the Olympic Games to change lives,' Coe said.
'The IOC is very proud to guide the London 2012 organizers through the preparation and implementation of the Olympic Games that will transform the local landscape physically, socially and economically,' Oswald said.
'We are especially delighted by the fact that London has really understood the ethos of the Olympic Games and the Olympic values, whereby the Games are a vehicle and catalyst for development and provide a platform to educate society through sport,' he said.
The next co-ordination committee visit is set for 2007. From 2009 onwards, the committee plans to visit London twice a year to oversee the preparations.
The 2008 Olympics are in the Chinese capital Beijing.
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