 Felli (right) has advised using existing venues rather than temporary sites |
The International Olympic Committee wants London 2012 Olympic Games organisers to have finalised the venues for all sports by March next year. Badminton, rhythmic gymnastics and shooting venues are still to be decided as organisers try to keep construction costs low amid the financial crisis. Organisers may scrap a temporary venue and shift badminton and rhythmic gymnastics to an existing facility. They may also move shooting from its present site in Greenwich. "We have asked that at least in March all of that will be closed (finalised) so that we know where all the venues are," said IOC Olympic Games director Gilbert Felli. "Can we use an existing venue to save the construction of a temporary one? That is a discussion we have with organisers." With the British government under pressure to keep costs down after the Olympic budget spiralled from an initial estimate of �2.4bn to �9.3bn, fencing and volleyball have already been moved to existing permanent sites.  | BBC BLOG | "There remains one issue on the venue of shooting," added Felli. "Now there are some discussions to see if there is another land... that could be used." Felli said the IOC was not concerned with the cost-related issues linked to the Olympic village as the government is scrambling to raise private funds for the project and saying some contingency funds were necessary for the project. "We received information that some part of the contingency fund was necessary," he said. "That is why you have a contingency fund." Funding to build a media and broadcast centre is also uncertain, with organisers considering locating the facility instead in a new shopping mall outside the Olympic Park. The IOC also decided to use the Hilton Hyde Park hotel as its official hotel during the Games and the nearby Intercontinental as the official National Olympic Committee's hotel, Felli added.
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