Rogge tells London how to leap over Beijing bar

BEIJING: As London prepared to follow Beijing as the Olympic host city, International Olympic Committee president Jaques Rogge praised the British capital's "unique assets" and called on it to stage a "fair play" Games.
    
The size of the Beijing Olympics have dwarfed all those that have gone before, with legions of staff drafted in to assist competitors, spectators and the world's media.
    
Meanwhile, Chinese authorities deployed vast numbers of military personnel to create an Olympic 'bubble' where only one security search is required rather than repeat inspections at each and every venue.
    
London 2012 chief Sebastian Coe has already contrasted the situations confronting his team, for example, over planning consent, with the lack of such problems in a Communist state such as China.
    
But Rogge, the head of an organisation whose motto is "faster, higher, stronger," said bigger did not always mean better.
    
"It is clear that China has put the bar very high," the Belgian said.
    
"It's going to be a challenge for London and also for all subsequent Games. I believe, and my hope will be, that London will put the bar higher."
    
However, the IOC supremo, speaking here on Sunday on the final day of these Olympics, admitted there were areas where London would not match Beijing.
    
"There are issues that London will not be able to copy or equal.
    
"The ability to bring in hundreds of thousands of volunteers to different sites, not only in Beijing but also Qingdao (where the sailing events were staged), Hong Kong (equestrian) and other cities -- is something that, numbers-wise is not going to be easy for London."
    
Nevertheless, Rogge said London could still deliver a stand-out Olympics.
    
"I believe London has unique assets. If you look at the Games, each Games have special identities.
    
"Athens (in 2004) was a return to the roots, the country that has invented the Olympic Games, China was coming to the most populous country of the world.
    
"London will be the city of the country that has invented modern sports, the country that has invented the rules of sport and brought in the values of fair play. That is the identity that has to be used in London," he added.
    
Rogge also said London's diverse population sat well alongside Olympic ideals with the east of the city, where the central athletics stadium and Athletes Village will be situated, home to a succession of immigrant communities for hundreds of years.
    
"London is also a very comsmopolitan city, multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, multi-religious. This is also an asset.
    
"The rest, I have absolutely no concern, the venues will be first-class."
    
Beijing saw Britain achieve its best medal haul at an Olympics since London first hosted the Games in 1908.
    
That gave 2012 organisers a strong story to sell in their quest for public support after weeks of negative headlines in the British press about the multi-billion pounds cost of the London Olympics, which should still be considerably cheaper than those in Beijing.
    
Another potential plus point for London is trying to associate the Olympics with a sense of spontaneity never likely to be allowed in China.
    
An upbeat Coe, himself a former double Olympic 1500 metres gold medallist, said: "Sure, it is about sport. But we will also take the chance to showcase the creative capital that London is.
    
"We can bring a massive level of creativity and Britishness in the very best sense of the word. And fun. Let's have a bit of fun with this."