London won't ditch Games bid

London's plan to bid for the 2012 Olympic Games remained on course today despite international pressure for potential host cities to stand aside for New York to stage the event.

Rome?s mayor, Walter Veltroni, said yesterday that while the Italian capital was preparing its own bid, the International Olympic Committee should give the Games to New York if it wins the race to become the official American candidate next year.

He believes it would be a fitting tribute to the thousands of people who lost their lives in last week?s attacks and send a defiant message to the terrorists behind them.

Veltroni, who has written to New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani outlining his proposal, said: ?If New York is a candidate, I think all other cities should step back to allow New York to host the 2012 Games.

?If the Games go to New York, it means the athletes, the spectators, the whole world, we can all be together. This will show that the terrorists are defeated.?

But British Olympic Association chief executive Simon Clegg said today: ?I suspect these comments represent a personal view. This is a matter for the IOC rather than for individual Olympic committees. Such a move would be unprecedented and would require the IOC to agree to a fundamental amendment to the bidding process constituted in the Olympic charter.