Thursday’s deadly bomb attacks in London won’t affect the city’s determination to stage a successful Olympics, the head of the British Olympic Association said on Friday.
”I can assure you that these terrible acts in no way reduced our resolve to run excellent Olympic Games in 2012,” Craig Reedie, a British International Olympic Committee (IOC) member, told an IOC meeting in Singapore.
”The worst thing to do is concede anything to these people.”
The blasts came hours after London won the right to host the Games, which prompted an outpouring of euphoria, quickly dampened by the tragic news.
IOC president Jacques Rogge opened Friday’s meeting with a moment of silence for bombing victims.
”Once again, unfortunately, this proves that there is no safe haven on this Earth, that security must remain the number-one priority of the Olympic movement whenever we stage the Olympic Games,” Rogge said.
Rogge earlier sent a message of condolence to the British delegation, and the attacks were uniformly condemned by individual IOC members.
”Today, we all feel like Londoners,” said Henri Serandour, head of the French Olympic committee. ”It’s terrible. We’re all in mourning.”
London edged Paris 54-50 in the final round of voting for host city of the 2012 Olympics on Wednesday. New York, Madrid and Moscow were all vying to host the Games.
Syria’s Samih Moudallal described the attacks as ”barbaric” and ”criminal”.
”You have expressed the feeling of sorrow and pain that all the Olympic family felt yesterday. It was deep sorrow indeed,” Moudallal said, referring to Rogge’s message.
Reedie said the London bid team went home ”quietly and discreetly” following Wednesday night’s celebrations in Singapore.
”All the feelings of pride and pleasure and euphoria just are forgotten,” Reedie told reporters. ”They’ll have to pick it up and move on.”
Reedie said the attacks evaded intensive security in London, illustrating ”just how dangerous this world is”.
”Security in London and security in Britain is outstandingly good and we still get caught,” he said. ”It doesn’t reduce our resolve to run marvellous Games in 2012 — we are simply going to go ahead with it.” — Sapa-AP