Athletes fear cost cuts will harm 2012 village

CONCERN is growing among nations due to compete in the 2012 Games that our Olympic village will not be up to standard.

Fears that corners will be cut on athletes' accommodation as chiefs struggle to contain costs during the credit crunch have been raised by scores of nations at an Olympic summit in Mexico.

Plans to scale down the village by a third as revealed in the Evening Standard are expected to dominate tomorrow's meeting of the Olympic board and will be high on the agenda when the International Olympic Committee visits London next month.

Colin Moynihan, chairman of the British Olympic Association, said he had been approached by counterparts planning to bring teams to 2012 at a summit in Acapulco which he attended this month.

He told the Standard: "It was raised in Mexico, it will be raised at the board and you can be sure that it will be raised by the IOC. These nations need assurances that the village will have the right design, that it will be comfortable and well fitted out and that there will be enough open space.

"This is not about five-star accommodation or even four-star but the need for athletes to live comfortably and relax so that they can perform at their peak. You cannot underestimate the importance of the village."