Rogge hails 'legacy blueprint' of London Olympics

Olympics chief Jacques Rogge on Wednesday praised Britain's preparations for this summer's Games in London, saying its plans to create a lasting legacy had set the standard for future host cities. Speaking after a meeting with Prime Minister David Cameron at his Downing Street office, Rogge hailed the way that facilities from the games will be reused and that poorer parts of London will see benefits. "London has raised the bar on how to deliver a lasting legacy. We can already see tangible results in the remarkable regeneration of east London," Rogge said at a joint press conference with Cameron. "This great historical city has created a legacy blueprint for future Games hosts." Cameron meanwhile said that the Games would be protected by Britain's biggest ever peacetime security operation, but that he still wanted them to feel like a sporting event first and foremost. "Our first priority as a host nation must be to keep people safe, so we'll be mobilising every aspect of our security infrastructure," he said. "There will be more police on the streets, there will be boats on the Thames, helicopters in the sky, troops will be assisting us in securing the venues, our intelligence services will be working around the clock. "This will the biggest and the most integrated security operation in mainland Britain in peacetime history, but it will also be done in a way that is sensitive to the spirit of the Games. "Let me be absolutely clear, I am determined that this will feel like a sporting event with a very serious security operation rather than a security operation with a really serious sporting event." Rogge and a team from the International Olympic Committee will spend three days making a final inspection of London's preparations for the Games, which start on July 27. London won the right to host the 2012 Olympics largely because of its legacy plans. These focused on regenerating deprived parts of east London, where the Olympic Park is located, and on reusing facilities such as the athletics stadium and swimming pool. The Olympic village will also be made partly into low-cost housing.