Cassani playing catch-up

Barbara Cassani was set to unveil her strategy to help London catch up with its rivals in the race for the 2012 Olympics today.

Appearing before the parliamentary committee responsible for probing the campaign, bid leader Cassani was expected to face questions about her key appointments in the bid, including the possible role of former middle-distance runner Sebastian Coe.

London is battling to catch up with favourites Paris and fierce rivals New York and Madrid, whose campaigns are already much more advanced with logos and bid staff in place.

But Cassani is working hard to catch up. She must have the basics of the technical bid finalised by the middle of January when the International Olympic Committee demands the first serious paperwork from the nine bidding cities. The IOC will choose the 2012 venue in a vote in July 2005.

Standard Sport understands London's logo should be unveiled by the third week of October following the competition to design it, which begins tomorrow with a presentation to designers by marketing director David Magliano. The bid is also expected to have a website in place by then.

Coe's appointment to the board, possibly as a vice-chairman, is close to being sealed and more key appointments are also expected. The composition of Cassani's board, announced on Friday, has won praise, especially the appointments of high jumper and social worker Dalton Grant and Lord Paul of Marylebone, the millionaire Labour peer who is an influential figure in the Asian community.

Coe was not named on the board last week because there were still questions marks over how he could combine the job with his other commitments.

As well as being a coach, an ambassador for the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games and a media personality, Coe was last month elected on to the council of the IAAF, the governing body of athletics.