School children field questions to Olympics chief Lord Coe

London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe visited school children in Wembley to talk about the legacy the Olympics will leave to youngsters in the borough.

Lord Coe OBE, himself a double Olympic gold medallist, told a packed audience at Chalkhill Community Centre, that he hoped the Games would boost sports uptake in schools and local athletics clubs.

He said: “The excitement of the Olympics for me is that it enables young people to get inspired by the different sports, whether is track and field, hockey, or something else.

“I am hoping that excitement will translate into young people joining clubs as they really need youngsters to get involved.

“Although, I hope that young people understand that the Olympic Games are about so much more than sports. We have got a cultural Olympia, through which young people are being encouraged to do all kinds of things.

“There will be people from 205 countries coming to this city, and I hope young people will get to meet people, learn about different cultures, and learn about different cities.”

Brent is one of five host boroughs, with Wembley Stadium set to stage the football finals, and the Arena providing the backdrop for the badminton and gymnastics.

Lord Coe said that this role provided Brent with a unique opportunity to inspire another generation of athletes, coaches and sports physiotherapists.

And addressing concerns that despite being a host borough sports take up in Brent is low compared to other London boroughs, the Olympic Games chairman said: “I have only ever seen a great deal of activity and creative thought in Brent surrounding the games.”

He said that he hoped the London 2012 competition would combine the best qualities from past contests – the party attitude and volunteer involvement of Sydney, the regeneration of Barcelona, and the attention to detail of Beijing.

He added: “What London can do that makes it a unique setting is it really and genuinely provide a home crowd for most visiting countries. Our advantage is this rich mix of cultures.”