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Adrian Warner

Spending money like water?


A report from an influential group of MPs has given London 2012 another hammering about the £9.3billion cost of the Games.

The Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee accuse 2012 of being willing "to spend money like water".

The cost of the spectacular Aquatics Centre has risen dramatically. But are we losing a bit of perspective on this?

London's ambitious aquatics centre

When Athens organisers were at the same stage of their seven-year preparations for the 2004 Games, I remember being called into a private meeting of the International Olympic Committee with the Greeks at IOC headquarters in Switzerland.

In front of a handful of international journalists, former IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch stood up and launched an unprecedented attack on Athens, warning that the Games would be in danger if they did not get their act together.

London 2012 is in a completely different situation. The fact is that the IOC is very happy with all the progress at the Olympic site at Stratford in east London. Senior Olympic officials aren't worried about the Games not taking place in 2012.

So the question is about the cost of all of this building. At the moment, the Olympic Delivery Authority says the budget is solid.

To stay that way, the ambitious Aquatic Centre, which is designed like a stingray, has to stay within its new price of £303 million.

The jury is still out on that one.

But the bigger picture is that London is performing better than many previous host cities.

Adrian Warner is BBC London's Olympics correspondent. Our FAQs should answer any questions you have.


Comments

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  • 1. At 4:23pm on 12 May 2008, reportingjustice wrote:

    See you can when you try!

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  • 2. At 01:10am on 14 May 2008, smokie56 wrote:

    The media and politicans are on a different wavelength re the Olympics in London.I dont know anyone over 50,,who like me was born in the London area,who wanted or has any enthusiasm for these games.I expect a large bill and empty,unused facilities afterwards.What is the point of a stadium in E15?What use afterwards?Does anyone actually want to watch shooting events or care who wins?And athletics is now so affected by drug cheats that interest is declining.The politicans who won the bid will not be around to care about the bill.However,I remember a UK opinion poll that showed 98% of people in Ulster were glad London won the bid.If Paris won,you could watch it on tv or visit ,no problem.

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  • 3. At 11:05am on 17 May 2008, reportingjustice wrote:

    Feel sorry for you smokie56. You dont seem to meet many people. I'm over 50 and I know very few people in London (and outside) of my generation or any other for that matter that arent happy about the games.

    Its a british problem that its easier to moan and rubbish something than to be openly positive. Sadly the media find stories that show disaters and juicy problems more attractive than those that show people just doing a good job or having positive outcomes. I was going to say its human nature but its not its 'british nature'.

    In this country those that are generally satisfied with their lot keep quiet. Those that arent shout. Hence my comment to our noticably improved jorno freind here on the need for balance. You wouldnt have written your comment if you had seen some of his earlier reports on the London TV news. He would in your eyes have been 'on your side'. However as soon as the balance appears you feel the need to make negative comments.

    Its not all perfect and striaghtforward. Things never are but it seems to me that you cant stand the thought that there might just be something great and good about the games and probably more importantly to you a little less to winge and moan about with all of the other miseries.

    So all things in the public sector are rubbish. All government proposals are rubbish and done just to screw Londons Black Cbbies etc etc etc. Dont get me started on that bunch.........

    Get a life mate and try to see beyond your own self interests. Bet you hated Ken Livingstone for no reason you can actually justify with fact and read the Mail..... hang on are you a black cabby?....Just a guess.

    I rest my case.

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