LOCOG-BOA Dispute To Overshadow This Week's IOC Visit To London

The heads of the 33 British Olympic sports today will meet in London for what is "certain to be a fractious meeting" as British Olympic Association (BOA) Chair Lord Colin Moynihan "attempts to defend his actions in the increasingly embarassing squabble" with LOCOG over the distribution of potential profits from the '12 London Games. The BOA is seeking to have its distribution tallied before Paralympics costs are taken into consideration (INDEPENDENT.co.uk, 3/28).

Meanwhile, LOCOG has reached a deal to repay up to US$100M to the public purse from the '12 Olympics. The agreement will "lead to the taxpayer being repaid before any operational surplus is divided up." The ongoing financial quarrel between LOCOG and the BOA will "overshadow a visit this week by IOC inspectors who would prefer to answer questions about venue construction." IOC Coordination Commission Chair Denis Oswald will be put "in a particularly uncomfortable position because he has been the sole arbitrator in the dispute" (London TIMES, 3/28).