Yamuna Expressway to keep date with CWG

The Uttar Pradesh government has set up an ‘ambitious’ target of completing the 165-km Yamuna Expressway by September 30 to keep date with the 2010 Commonwealth Games to be held in New Delhi from October 3 to 14.

The expressway is being developed by Jaiprakash Infratech at an estimated cost of Rs 9,900 crore.

Earlier, even the state government had expressed its apprehension that the expressway would not be able to keep its date with the Games, as initially targeted to cash in on the mega event.

The six-lane expressway (erstwhile Taj Expressway) between Greater Noida and Agra will connect the national capital directly with Agra, which is a heavy traffic route.

The concessionaire has acquired the land required for the rest of the project amicably, the state industrial development department said. Around 1,500 hectares had been acquired in 335 notified villages across Gautam Budh Nagar, Bulandshahar, Aligarh, Mahamaya Nagar (Hatras), Mathura and Agra districts under the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA).

Steps were being taken to shift four transmission lines from the expressway, while 222 distribution and 12 transmission lines of the UP energy department had already been shifted.

The expressway was conceived with the idea to not only reduce travel time between New Delhi and Agra, but open up avenue for industrial and urban development in the region and provide base for convergence to tourism and other allied industries. It will lead to setting up of industrial units and townships flanking the entire stretch of the expressway.

When fully commissioned, the expressway will comprise three main toll plazas and a rail over bridge.

Earlier, the project had its share of controversies, including allegation of irregularities in award of the contract and agitation by farmers over compensation. In February 2003, then Mayawati government had awarded Taj (Yamuna) Expressway project to JAL and was stipulated to be completed within seven years at an estimated cost of Rs 1,600 crore.

However, the work on the project was stalled when Mulayam Singh Yadav came to power in UP in August 2003 over corruption charges in awarding the project to Jaypee.

Later, an inquiry committee gave a clean chit to the project, which got a new lease of life after Mayawati again came to power in May 2007.

Will sniffer pups have home in time for CW Games?

The Delhi Police spent a whopping Rs 19 lakh to get them at Rs 25,000 each.

But the permanent home for these puppies, which are currently training in Madhya Pradesh and Punjab, at Saket is far from complete.

The canines would be an integral part of security arrangements during the Commonwealth Games this year.

They are coming back to Delhi by July end but authorities said their home in Saket wouldn’t be ready till the year-end.

“The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sanctioned a land for a new dog squad at Saket. We have less than a year for the Games and we cannot take any chances. We are looking for alternate arrangements,” said a senior police officer.

Taking a cue from foreign countries, these pups will be micro chipped and their entire data would be stored on a computer.

“Till the time we don’t get a permanent accommodation, we would put them at a makeshift venue in Ghazipur in east Delhi. It would be close to the Games venue and dogs can reach there anytime,” said the officer.

The German Shepherds, Labradors and Dobermans, some of the breeds of the puppies, were purchased from a Hyderabad buyer on November 5, 2009.

Mostly put on VVIP routes, the 50 odd dogs already with the Delhi Police were not enough for a city with a population of 1.7 crore.

Police said unlike earlier cases, they have not gone for trained dogs and have opted for pups instead.

Police said they were looking for several options but a vacant plot of land near Ghazipur is the best choice.

“The dog shelters and the new building in Saket cannot be constructed so soon. It will take at least a year. Our dogs will be ready for operation before that,” said the officer.

When serial blasts rocked the Capital in September 2008, it was left to six dogs to save the day.

“Most of the time the dogs are put on VVIP routes. In 2008, Sunny, one of the efficient dogs, had fallen ill due to work overload. He was stressed,” said a senior police officer.

Of the 50 dogs with the Delhi police at present, 34 are trained to sniff explosives.

Show the world Delhi is green city, says CM, Sheila Dikshit

So what the Delhi Auto Expo is over? Delhi's romance with electric vehicles has not ended.

The 2010 Eco Meet, the annual environmental expo hosted by the Delhi government, began on Tuesday, offering yet another pit-stop for spirited discussions on electric scooters and bikes.

All the major makers of electric scooters and cycles are showcasing their products at the meet this year.

Delhi's affinity for emission-free mode of personal mobility is reflected in the subsidy offered by the environment department to electric vehicles.

“Without the subsidy, the products would have been a few thousand rupees costlier here,” said Sushil Chhetry of Hero Electric.

On display are electric cycles, scooters of various types and even rickshaws.

“The market potential in Delhi is huge,” said Lalit, of Avon Electric Scoot and Cycles.

“By the middle of this year, more electric scooters will be seen on Delhi streets.”

Reva, the oldest electric car to enjoy the Delhi government subsidy, is also on offer.

The annual eco meet is a platform that allows the government to flaunt its “green quotient” in schools.

“We have been running this meet for nine years. This is a crucial year because of Commonwealth Games,” said Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit after inaugurating the event.

“We have to show the world that Delhi is a green city. And the eco meet shows that very well.”

As the chief minister stressed on the importance of the Commonwealth Games that begin in October this year, the official Games mascot Shera was happy interacting with visitors and playing with wide-eyed children all day long.

This was Shera's second public outing after the mascot's recent appearance in select malls in the city.

The weeklong event being held at Bal Bhawan at ITO also has students exhibiting some remarkable green initiatives they have been part of in their respective schools.

Commonwealth Games Federation dismiss reports of sub-standard security

The Commonwealth Games Federation has condemned reports security would be substandard at the Delhi Games, insisting the comments were "ill-informed" and that security planning for the Games was on track.

A Sydney Sunday newspaper quoted Australian security consultant Lloyd Bromfield saying he was alarmed by New Delhi's lack of preparation and this left athletes at risk of terrorist attacks. CGF president Michael Fennell said its own security adviser, a rival Australian company Intelligent Risks, had assured him the Indians had dedicated appropriate resources to providing a secure environment for the Games.

"The CGF regards the safety and security of the Games, for athletes and spectators alike, as being of paramount importance and of the highest priority," Fennell said.

"IR has vast Commonwealth, Olympic and multi-sport games experience and, importantly, has a detailed knowledge of what is actually being done with security for Delhi.

"A number of recent media reports on Games' security come from comments by those who have not worked on any aspect of security planning for the Delhi 2010 Games, and do not have any serious knowledge of the detailed plans across all aspects being put in place by local authorities."

Fennell said the Delhi organising committee had appointed internationally respected Indian government and police officials to head security operations.

Eamon Sullivan needs guidance from Shane Watson after yet another physical setback

FORMER world record-holder Eamon Sullivan will look to another injury-prone champion, cricketer Shane Watson, for guidance as his latest physical setback threatens to prevent him from competing at this year's Commonwealth Games.

Exactly one year after he underwent surgery to correct a tear in his left hip, Sullivan went under the knife again yesterday, after tearing the labrum in his right hip in training last week.

The Olympic 100m freestyle silver medallist's overall surgery tally is now approaching double figures.

If he misses the Commonwealth Games, having already lost last year's world championships, he will have been out of world competition for more than two years by the end of the year. His last major championship was the Beijing Olympics, already 18 months ago.

Sullivan, 24, is so physically fragile he makes Watson look structurally sound, but they have many common experiences and the sprinter said he intended to meet with the cricketer in the hope of learning something that would help him bounce back from his current run of setbacks.

Watson has been Australia's stand-out batsman this summer after overcoming the physical frailties that threatened to ruin his career.

"I plan to catch up with him in the next couple of weeks," Sullivan said.

"He's probably had it worse than me because he's missed more major events and I want to see if there's anything he did that might be able to help me."

Sullivan is a resilient character but he admitted this setback had hit him harder than most and he was looking for new inspiration to get through his recovery.

"I would be lying if I said it wasn't the most I have struggled, after having had no international competition for the last year and a lot of injuries," Sullivan said. "But I try to keep my spirits high and I am trying to get myself healthy in time for the London Olympics. That's my top priority."

Sullivan has vowed not to rush his recovery this year, as he did last year in order to qualify for the Rome world titles. He returned in time to win the 100m freestyle at last year's trials but the stress of the effort eventually undermined his health and he was forced out of the world titles by illness.

Then in November he needed an emergency appendectomy during a training camp in Arizona, which was followed by another setback last month when he sustained an abdominal muscle tear where his surgical wound had healed.

Sullivan and his coach Grant Stoelwinder have agreed they will take his recovery slowly this time, even if it costs him the two major championships this year -- the Pan Pacific championships in August and the Commonwealth Games in October.

"I am planning to swim at the trials but I don't know if I will be ready and I won't risk getting myself injured or sick again," he said.

"I pushed myself way too hard, too early last year and compromised my whole year. My New Year's resolution is to know what I can and know what I can't do in the training pool."

Sullivan set to tap star cricketer for tips on overcoming injury

FORMER world record-holder Eamon Sullivan will consult Australian cricketer Shane Watson in an effort to end his horrendous string of injuries, which this time have threatened his Commonwealth Games aspirations.

The career of the Beijing Olympic 100 metres silver medallist has been blighted by injury, just as Watson's had been for many years before he literally got himself together and went on to become the star of this Australian cricket summer.

Sullivan's injuries list grew a little longer yesterday when he was forced to have hip surgery to repair a labral tear, and to shave the bone to make more room in the problem hip joint.

It is the fifth time Sullivan has had hip surgery and almost a year since he had the same procedure performed on his left hip.

It continued a woeful 12 months. He rushed back from the surgery last year and qualified for the world championships, but everything would take its toll by July when his body ''virtually shut down'', and, unable to shake off a virus, he was forced to withdraw from the Rome titles.

Then later in the year he was training in the United States and was rushed to hospital to have his appendix removed.

Sullivan says he will not make the same mistake of rushing back this time.

But he hopes to be ready for Commonwealth Games trials in March, and if he can qualify at least for the relay team, he will then make the trip to the US for the Pan Pacific titles in August, where he can swim any number of individual events.

Perhaps he can then force his way onto the Delhi team in those individual races. But he also knows the main goal is London in 2012, and that if he doesn't heal quickly enough or get fit enough for trials, the Commonwealth Games may have to be sacrificed for the longer-term goal.

''Hopefully it doesn't come to that, but if it does, it is probably going to be a wise decision long term,'' he said.

''2011 and 2012 are the big years, and the Olympics is the ultimate goal and whatever I have to do to get there at peak condition, I'll be doing.

''I'm not writing this year off. [But] my approach this time around as opposed to last year is a bit different.

''Last year I really pushed my body to try and get fit before the trials, which could have started a snowball effect for the rest of the year.

''This time around I'm going to make sure I don't rush myself, make sure my rehab is 100 per cent, and my body is 100 per cent.

''I'm planning to swim at trials, whether or not I'll be fit enough to make the team will be a different story.''

Sullivan said both he and his coach Grant Stoelwinder thought they should consider contacting Watson to see if he had any tips.

''I plan to catch up with him in the next couple of weeks and just have a chat about things,'' Sullivan said.

''Obviously he's come out the other end from probably a worse run than me as far as missing major events and things you work so hard to get to.

''I just want to get his approach, to try and see if there is anything he did which I could maybe take into my program or any mental thought process he used.''

Indian folk art inspires Commonwealth Games pictograms

Bangalore-based design agency, Idiom, has created the logo, pictograms and mascot for this year's 19th Commonwealth Games which will take place in Delhi. The pictograms are, explains principal designer on the project Sonia Manchada, a blend of the pictograms designed by Otl Aicher for the 1972 Munich Olympic games – and Sanjhi, a form of Indian folk art...


Sanjhi (example shown above) is a traditional form of artwork created by paper-cutting stencils which are (and have been for centuries) used to decorate palaces and temples for celebrations. "The word Sanjhi is derived from 'sanjaa', meaning 'dressing up/beautifying' - says Manchada. "The pictograms will dress up Delhi and get the capital ready for the Commonwealth Games."



Here are more of the pictograms Idiom has created for the Games:


Unlike the complicated tendering processes in place which encourages a multitude of design agencies to apply to design various aspects of the communication collateral for London's forthcoming 2012 Olympic Games - Idiom has been charged with creating the entire "look and feel" of the Commonwealth Games in Delhi. Here's what the logo the agency created for the games looks like:


The logo is inspired by the 24-spoked wheel or 'chakra' that sits in the centre of the Indian national flag. "The chakra has been freed up, energised," explains Manchada of the approach to the logo's design. "The collective energy of our people will ensure that we don't just keep plodding along, but that we rise up!"


And, as well as the serious design of pictograms and a logo, Idiom has designed a jolly looking Mascot called Shera - who represents the great Indian tiger:

Games chief defends Delhi security measures

Commonwealth Games chiefs hit back Monday at what they said were “ill-informed” comments regarding security arrangements for the 2010 edition in Delhi in October.

Last weekend Lloyd Bromfield, a security consultant who has worked at the Sydney, Athens and Beijing Olympics, warned of a “dangerous environment” in India and said he wouldn’t want his family to be in Delhi during the Games.

“In my opinion, it is a dangerous environment, there is no way the Indian authorities can guarantee anything,” Bromfield told Australia’s News Limited media group.

“I wish the Commonwealth Games could go ahead and be safe and secure. But to be honest, I’ve got two sons, I wouldn’t have them go there.”

But the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), in a statement issued Monday, said it had deemed such comments as “ill informed” and, based on advice from its own independent experts, security planning for the Games was “on track”.

CGF president Michael Fennell added: “The CGF regards the safety and security of the Games, for athletes and spectators alike, as being of paramount importance and of the highest priority.

Last month a report in Britain’s Daily Telegraph newspaper — since denied by English sports authorities — said England was mulling pulling out due to fears of attacks by Pakistani militants in Delhi.

There have been widespread concerns about security in India, which has seen a host of militant attacks in recent years, most notably an assault on Mumbai in 2008 that left 166 people dead.

But Fennell said the CGF was working closely with Indian police and security authorities and that their security planning for the Games pre-dated the attacks in Mumbai.

“In 2005, the CGF appointed leading international experts, Intelligent Risks Pty Ltd (IR), as our security advisers for Delhi 2010,” he said.

“IR has vast Commonwealth, Olympic and multi-sport games experience, and importantly, has a detailed knowledge of what is actually being done with security for Delhi.”

Fennell added: “A number of recent media reports on Games’ security come from comments by those who have not worked on any aspect of security planning for the Delhi 2010 Games, and do not have any serious knowledge of the detailed plans across all aspects being put in place by local authorities.”

He also explained that security was reviewed on a regular basis.

“The next comprehensive CGF security adviser’s review is scheduled to take place in late February and early March,” Fennell said.

“Naturally, we will share a summary of their report with all Commonwealth countries and territories.

“I am please to report that, where it counts most — with our members — cool heads prevail, and their planning remains on track to bring the athletes of the Commonwealth to Delhi in October this year.”

But, regardless of security concerns, some eligible athletes may not compete in Delhi.

For example the agent of Usain Bolt, the 100 and 200 metres Olympic and world champion, said last week the timing of the Games would interfere with the Jamaica sprinter’s preparations for the 2011 athletics season.

The Commonwealth is an organisation largely made up of nations that were once part of the now defunct British Empire.

Top city swim coach voices concern over Commonwealth Games

TOP city swimming coach Jon Rudd is mulling over whether to take his team of international stars to terrorist-threatened New Delhi for the Commonwealth Games in October.

Rudd, who is likely to be a coach at the games, has several swimmers who are in line for an international call-up for New Delhi.

But the Plymouth Leander supremo admitted today that he is thinking twice about risking either his swimmers or himself, despite the insistence by England sporting chiefs that they will be going to the games.

Outstanding Plymouth swimmers like Antony James, Emma Wilkins, Trinidad's Christian Homer and Kenya's Achieng Ajulu-Bushell are preparing themselves for qualification for the games.

Others, such as England's Steven Beckerleg and David Gregory, plus Calum Jarvis from Wales are expected to be pushing for places on the Commonwealth team.

But Rudd said he was concerned about security issues in New Delhi.

He told Herald Sport: "You only have to go back to last year, when the England cricket team were attacked by terrorists, to realise what can happen.

"Some of our swimmers are hoping to be representing their country in the London 2012 Olympics, but they won't do very well in London if they get shot in the swimming pool in New Delhi."

Rudd added: "I do feel a certain amount of worry about the possibility of terrorist attacks.

"If it was the Olympics, which is bigger than life, I wouldn't have any second thoughts.

"But the Commonwealth Games, with all due respect to the athletes taking part, is not as big as the Olympics.

" I have been told that the volleyball courts over there had just been completed when somebody walked into the middle of them and blew himself up.

"Is the Commonwealth Games a big enough event to risk your life for, or the lives of our swimmers? That's the question I've got to ask myself."

Rudd said that it was possible, if New Delhi was a no-go area in October, that the games would be split up, with the various sporting disciplines spread across other venues.

But he added: "We've got a camp booked in Tenerife in August where we are training for the Commonwealth Games which is costing us between £10,000 and £15,000.

"If I don't need to spend that money, I don't really want to.

"At the end of the day, it will be down to the individual athletes if they want to go, or their parents if they are under 18."

Plymouth Diving's Andy Banks, who coaches city World Champion Tom Daley, plus international stars Tonia Couch and Brooke Graddon, said he was keeping a close eye on the situation.

All three divers are expected to qualify for the games.

Banks said: "I think the answer is to watch this space.

"I am quite sure that security at the games is top of the agenda at the moment – everybody is talking about it.

"The divers are aware of the situation, but they have other things to focus on now, with the World Cup and the European Championships coming up.

"It's not really at the forefront of their minds."

No more thunder in Commonwealth Games 2010, Usain Bolt to skip games

LIGHTENING THUNDER Usain Bolt would not be seen in the forthcoming Commonwealth Games 2010 slated to take place in the Indian capital New Delhi later this year.

The much hyped 2010 Commonwealth Games according to reliable resources would miss Olympic champion and world record holder Usain Bolt. His manager Ricky Simms had said that fastest man on earth till date is working arduously for 2011 World Athletics Championships and would most probably miss the bus for October games.

Addressing a query related to Bolt’s participation in the Commonwealth Games, Ricky told Sunday Mail, London "It's now looking unlikely Usain will be going to the Commonwealth Games. His priorities have to lie elsewhere. First and foremost is his four-year plan leading up to the next Olympics, which is exactly what he did prior to Beijing in 2008".

Elaborating more on the issue Ricky gave reasons behind this move “"The timing of the Commonwealth Games is the issue here. By the start of October, Usain will have needed to have rested and then began his pre-season which, as every athlete knows, is massively important". Simms explained.

On Usain’s future engagement, Ricky said "It's started well enough with what he achieved at last summer's Berlin World Championships, but this year is all about the Diamond League and a continuation of his preparation for 2012. He also views the World Championships in 2011 and 2013 as crucially important".

Usain Bolt’s non participation will definitely be a huge jolt to hundreds of sports lovers who were planning to witness his thundering speed and tiger like leapin athletics at 2010 Commonwealth Games.

Delhi 2010: To Go or Not To Go, That Is the Question

As the lead-up to the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games begins, so too does the inevitable questions about security, terrorism, and the posturing about attendance. Delhi shouldn’t feel victimised; this happens before nearly every major sporting event on the global calendar.

Towards the end of December 2009, rumours were rife that England was considering withdrawing their team from the games. Officials, of course, dispelled these rumours, and Ann Hogbin, general manager of the England team, reiterated a “strong intention” for England to participate—hardly an unequivocal statement.

The athletes, however, are finding other excuses not to turn up in October 2010. Whether it’s the chance of tummy bugs, the proximity to World Championship events in cycling or gymnastics, European athletics championships, or just training for the London 2012 Olympics, the excuses are a bit transparent.

The security issues surrounding Delhi 2010 are complex to say the least. There is a lot of hard work going into preparations, but there will always be those who have doubts. When one of those with concerns is the commissioner of the English Metropolitan Police, the concerns need to be taken seriously.

A big part of the issue is perception. There is a consistent reference to the sub-continent—a region that includes Pakistan. While India has its problems with terrorism, they pale next to those in Pakistan.

Despite this, the atrocities in Mumbai in 2008 and the 2009 decision to hold the Indian Premier League tournament in South Africa for security reasons, weigh heavily on the mind of those who have expressed reservations.

While the main reason for the IPL decision was a refusal of the central government to provide protection for the tournament‚—something that would not be an issue for the Commonwealth Games—it feeds the perception that India is a dangerous place.

Now Australian athletes are expressing concerns over their safety. The final decision on participation has been left to individual athletes and although no one to date has come out and said they definitely won’t go, swimmer and part-time hitman Nick D’Arcy has put up his hand as a certain starter should he be selected. I’m sure that there’s a line in there somewhere, but it's better not to go there.

The problem with any mention of an Aussie boycott is that with current tensions between India and Australia over the terrible attacks on Indian students in Melbourne, any move to pull out could lead to an international incident.

But at the end of the day, it’s the Commonwealth Games that we’re talking about—the festival of bland; a celebration of mediocrity. It is an event almost entirely without relevance on the international sporting calendar—a sentiment underscored by Usain Bolt’s decision to “give the Games a miss” to prepare for the 2011 World Championships and the London Olympics.

In a risk-reward analysis, it’s hard to imagine competing at the Commonwealth Games coming out on top, unless it was guaranteed completely safe.

On the other hand, posturing about security and preparedness always haunt the lead-up to meets of this kind.

Before the Athens Olympics in 2004, there was a consensus that none of the stadiums would be complete and if, by some miracle, they were, then the local infrastructure wouldn’t cope with the influx of athletes and visitors, or al-Qaeda would kill everyone who turned up. Sound familiar?

The stakes are way too high for India to allow anything to affect the smooth execution of the games. India is forging a new position on the world stage, particularly in the wake of the Copenhagen climate-change love-in. There is no way that they will allow terrorists to embarrass them in a large-scale, if irrelevant, event such as the Commonwealth Games.

It’s not hard to see Delhi 2010 as a practice run for an Indian Olympic bid at some point in the future, even though it has apparently been ruled out for 2020. A major incident or failure would put paid to any chances of success but, more importantly, it would be another sporting tragedy that the world can do without. Let’s wish the organizers all the luck they need.

Christine Ohuruogu determined to defend Commonwealth crown in Delhi

Christine Ohuruogu cut through the high emotions over sport’s security issues to declare herself ready and willing to defend her Commonwealth title in Delhi in October.

Talk of a boycott by England competitors because of the terrorist threat in India gained pace after the killing of three men in an ambush on the Togo football team in Angola last week. However, the Olympic 400 metres champion refused to join the athletes counting themselves out of the Commonwealth Games.

“No one wants to send people into an area that’s unsafe, but I hope the Indian authorities make the necessary preparations,” she said. “I’m sure they will because not to provide sufficient security measures would be negligent.

“I don’t think that will happen because it would be a huge embarrassment if they don’t have what’s required. We had the same thing before the Athens Olympics [in 2004] when there was a bomb threat and then there was talk of a boycott before Beijing [in 2008]. You have to be sensible and not jump on the bandwagon and say, ‘I’m not going.’ ”

Senior Whitehall officials have reportedly said that there is virtually no chance of an England team going to Delhi, but Mike Fennell, the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) president, yesterday dismissed the claim. “The CGF regard security of the Games for athletes and spectators as being of paramount importance,” he said. Fennell said the CGF had been working with a leading security firm since 2005 and took issue with those “who do not have any serious knowledge of the detailed plans”.

Fennell will be glad to hear Ohuruogu say Delhi is part of her plans. “It is in the programme, although we have to play the year by ear,” she said. “The main focus is the European Championships [in Barcelona], which are in July and a lot earlier than we’re used to. I’ll proceed cautiously. I have to be totally fit. I’m going [to Delhi] as the defending champion and don’t want to go in half-hearted.”

If Ohuruogu adds the European title, it will make her one of only five Britons to have the full house of Olympic, world, European and Commonwealth gold medals. That does not mean as much to her as getting back on track after a year when a torn tendon in a thigh ruined her chances of retaining her world title. In the final in Berlin she laboured home in fifth, while Sanya Richards, of the United States, gained revenge for Beijing.

Ohuruogu, still only 25, admits that it was hard when she heard herself referred to as a former world champion. “I did cry my eyes out after the final, but I have to accept it,” she said. “I was not good enough on the day, but I’m happy I turned up. I could have stayed at home and watched it on TV, but I went to defend my title. I showed my face but did not have enough in the bank.”

As usual, she has been punishing herself during the winter, running up snowy hills in Mile End, East London, and having what she says are preventative injections in her ankles and hip. She will open her 400 metres season in the US and is planning to compete on the new Diamond League circuit, where she may come face to face with Richards again. “Anything that makes the sport more appealing is welcome,” Ohuruogu said. “I hate to admit it, but I think track and field is dying.”

That is quite an admission from one of its big players, especially in light of the resurgence caused by Usain Bolt, the world record-holder at 100 metres and 200 metres. However, Ohuruogu said that she has concerns that the Olympic legacy may elude those youngsters that it should benefit.

It is why she has agreed to be a patron of this year’s Balfour Beatty London Youth Games. “It’s inevitable that the excitement will die down post-2012, but London is a city that’s always moving, so I hope it produces long-lasting changes,” she said. “The Youth Games are a good start.”