IOC may consider London Olympic park changes

LAUSANNE, Switzerland - The International Olympic Committee may still consider changes inside London's 2012 Olympic park to improve its operation, Olympic Games Executive Director Gilbert Felli said on Tuesday.

"It is a subject that has been discussed with London," Felli told reporters. "We had some discussion to change."

IOC officials said discussions about any changes would involve London Games organisers and the respective international sports federations and would then be considered by the IOC.

"We had some discussion to change. We are still discussing maybe one or the other...inside the park where we could do some changes," he said.

The Olympic park in the East End will be the heart of the Games with several sports venues, including the Olympic stadium, the aquatic venue and the velodrome located there. The Olympic village, where athletes will stay is next to the park.

Organisers expect some 180,000 visitors a day at the park during Games time and envisage a transformation of the area into the largest urban park created in Europe for more than 150 years.

Felli did not give details of what change or changes the IOC was looking at.

"If we have a change and accept it, it is for the best and not for the worse," Felli said, after a report on London's progress delivered by the IOC's chief inspector Denis Oswald.

The IOC also approved the sports competition schedule for each day for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics as well as the schedule for the test events that will try out the venues ahead of the Games.

"(Coordination commission chairman) Rene Fasel is very happy with how it is going," IOC spokeswoman Giselle Davies told reporters. "By the end of this year they will have all their venues completed bar three. Very much on track."

Davies said more than 75,000 people had subscribed on-line for tickets already, with international sales starting next year.