London 2012 Games leaders hold high-level talks with Beijing Olympic organisers

The venue visits centred on the Beijing Olympic Park (Olympic Green) complex, similar to the Olympic Park planned for London, which will house several key venues designed for athletes and to regenerate host city communities.

"This visit to Beijing has provided us with the rare opportunity to see a working model of the Olympic Games in the planning phase," said London 2012 Chairman, Sebastian Coe, while visiting Beijing's Olympic Green site for the 2008 Olympic Games.

"The Beijing Olympic Park site gives us a benchmark for where we should be at a similar stage of construction on London's Olympic Park," Coe said.

Talks between London 2012 leaders and Beijing Olympic organisers, including Wang Wei, executive vice-president and secretary general of the Beijing Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG), highlighted the plans by both host cities to use the Olympic Games as the catalyst for social and economic regeneration.

The discussions also underlined the importance of planning for the long-term use of Olympic venues, based around the needs of host city communities.

"You need to get the balance right," said London 2012 CEO, Paul Deighton. "The balance of building facilities for the Games and the long-term use or legacy of the venues after the Games, for the host city and its communities."

Beijing 2008 Olympic officials also discussed plans for their Olympic venues, which as with plans for each of London's Olympic venues, has a long-term legacy as an integral part of the planning and development process.

"The most important thing is to ensure that the long-term use of the venues is built and designed into the planning process and so that it does not become an add-on or afterthought," he said.

Beijing officials also shared their thoughts and experiences on the early planning for their highly successful commercial programme, including sponsorship.

Dual Olympic gold medallist Coe gave an athletics master class in running to students at Beijing's model No 80 High School. He commented that discussions were also held with BOCOG about inspiring more young people into Olympic sport, a core vision of the London Games.

"Sport will be at the heart of London's Olympic regeneration plans and vision to inspire the next generation through sport," said Coe.

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For further information please call the London 2012 Press Office on +44 (0)203 2012 100.

Click here to download images of Seb taking part in an athletics masterclass in Beijing (WinZip)