Comment: London's legacy stuck on starting blocks

For five years, the architects of the London Olympics have been claiming that the event has the power to turn Britain into a sporting nation.

But as the capital prepares to take the mantle of host city from Beijing in a few weeks, it is clear that the socalled "sports legacy" has become the Cinderella issue.

A big part of the problem is no one wants to take overall responsibility. Olympics chiefs are busy building the venues and making sure they satisfy the technical demands of the International Olympic Committee. Local councils have no statutory obligations and sports investment always finds itself at the bottom of their in-tray.

The Government dithered for a year before producing, a year late, its "legacy action plan" with the eyecatching pledge of free swimming for all children and pensioners. Major question marks hang over that scheme, not least the fact that many Londoners live too far away from their local public pool because so many have been sold off since the Seventies. It will be interesting to see how many are able to take up the offer.

Westminster's response to the legacy issue has not been helped by the revolving door at the department of Culture, Media and Sport, which has had three new bosses in a year. A "sports legacy czar" is sadly lacking. It should be the boss of Sport England - the quango responsible for funding grassroots and community sport - but its chairman, Derek Mapp, quit at Christmas complaining of ministerial meddling. The highly-rated Sir Keith Mills, a marketing tycoon and one of the architects of the bid, is stalling on taking the job for fear of being handed a poisoned chalice.

The Government's one quantifiable aim - to get two million more Britons involved in sport by 2012 - has had ministers tying themselves in knots. Does this target include recreational activity such as yoga or a country stroll, or is it just competitive sport, they have wondered. On an almost weekly basis there is another speech, policy paper or report saying the reality is far from the stated ambition in the Olympic bid.