LOCOG Chair Sebastian Coe will continue his involvement with the Olympics as British Prime Minister David Cameron's "Legacy Ambassador," according to Joe Churcher of the London INDEPENDENT. Coe will now advise the PM on the "best ways to secure long-term benefits for the U.K. and act as a roving ambassador to help secure deals for British firms." Coe will also be responsible for ensuring "efforts to boost sporting, volunteering and regeneration effects" remain on track. Cameron said, "Seb Coe has done a brilliant job delivering the best Games ever. Now I want him to help me deliver the best Olympic legacy ever" (INDEPENDENT, 8/12). In London, Simon Walters wrote that Coe will lead "a new Olympics legacy unit in the Cabinet Office." Coe said, "In terms of delivering world-class events, Britain is at the top of its game right now. Capitalising on this within the U.K. and around the world is clearly a priority and I am delighted to be involved" (DAILY MAIL, 8/11). The BBC reported that Coe said he was "very happy" to drive the legacy forward, but it was not a "one-man mission" and the "whole nation" had to support his values. Coe also said that organizers were "only halfway through" with the Games, in reference to the upcoming Paralympics. Coe: "We want to deliver the best Paralympic Games ever" (BBC, 8/12). The London EVENING STANDARD wrote that Coe said in future decades, he wanted people to be able to point to a "dramatic impact" from the Games. Coe said, "We didn't go to Singapore on the basis that we were only delivering something for 16 days. We went there on the understanding that the story should only really start from 2012 onwards" (EVENING STANDARD, 8/12).
