Coe's TV battle

Sebastian Coe has agreed to take part in an unprecedented presidential-style TV debate involving all five bid leaders in the campaign for the 2012 Olympics.

It emerged today the debate is likely to go ahead at the end of January, just before the International Olympic Committee's evaluation commission starts a crucial series of visits to the cities.

The IOC has given its approval for the first time to the programme, set to be broadcast to millions across the globe by BBC World, the international news channel.

Talks are still taking place between the IOC, the BBC and the bids about the exact format of the debate and whether the programme will be broadcast live.

But favourite Paris gave its approval for the move several weeks ago. Officials from Madrid, Moscow and New York are also believed to be keen to take part in the event, which is likely to be filmed in Turin before a series of Olympic meetings in the Italian city, the venue for the 2006 Winter Olympics.

It is a surprise that the IOC's ethics commission, which has policed the 2012 campaign extremely closely in the last year, has agreed to the programme, given that a bidding city is not allowed to criticise its rivals in public.