Rogge says London is blueprint for future

Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron (C) and Chair of the London 2012 Organizing Committee (LOCOG) Sebastian Coe listen, as International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge (L) speaks during a news conference at 10 Downing Street in London March 28, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

LONDON - London 2012 will be a blueprint for future Olympic Games, IOC president Jacques Rogge said on Wednesday ahead of a three-day inspection of the venues.

"London has raised the bar on how to deliver a lasting legacy," Rogge told a news conference alongside British Prime Minister David Cameron.

"We can already see tangible results in the remarkable regeneration of East London. This great historical city has created a legacy blueprint for future Games hosts."

Rogge met Cameron at Downing Street to discuss preparations for the Games which start on July 27 and met several London 2012 ambassadors including former heptathlete Denise Lewis.

The inspection visit by the IOC, the last one scheduled before the start of the Games, coincides with the publication of the Government's new legacy blueprint.

"Legacy has been built into the DNA of London 2012," Cameron said. "But by definition, of course, the true legacy of London 2012 lies in the future.

"Though much has been done, I am acutely aware that the drive to embed and secure the benefits of London 2012 is still to come. That is our biggest challenge. It's also our greatest opportunity."

London organizing committee (LOCOG) chairman Sebastian Coe, writing in the legacy document "Beyond 2012", said Britain was delivering on its pledge to regenerate a run-down part of the capital.

"I am immensely proud that sport has also been a catalyst for the jaw-dropping transformation in East London," Coe said.

"We wanted to use the inspirational power of the Games to leave a lasting legacy, in sport participation as well as in people's lives in East London, in attitudes towards disability, in sustainability and protecting the world we live in. And we are well on the way to achieving this."