There is "increasing confidence" in Whitehall that LOCOG Chair Sebastian Coe, "whose stock is high after successfully delivering a memorable Games," can be persuaded to take over as the British Olympic Association Chair, according to Owen Gibson of the London GUARDIAN. Earlier this month, Coe was the ministers' first choice to take on the role, after the incumbent Colin Moynihan announced that he would step down a year early. Moynihan said that he was stepping down prematurely "in order to give his replacement time to prepare" for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. Coe has "consistently refused to be drawn on his future," but has confirmed that he is likely to stand for the presidency of the International Association of the Athletics Federations when it becomes vacant in '15. Ministers also "harbour hopes" that LOCOG Deputy Chair Keith Mills could be persuaded to take on the dual chairmanship of funding agency U.K. Sport and grassroots body Sport England. Mills, in concert with Coe, could "bring about a long hoped for closer alignment of the key bodies in British Olympic sport." Meanwhile, British Swimming has announced the make-up of the board that will consider the reasons behind the sport's underperformance at the London Games. U.K. Sport set a target of five to seven Medals, but it finished with just one Silver from Michael Jamieson and two Bronze from Rebecca Adlington. Harlequins Dir of Rugby Conor O'Shea and double Olympic open water Medalist Thomas Lurz will be included on the four-man panel that will conduct the inquest. The ParalympicsGB Chef de Mission Craig Hunter and British Swimming Performance Dir Michael Scott, the British Swimming performance director had been "previously announced as members of the review panel" (GUARDIAN, 8/28).
