Manchester carries baton for Britain's international hopes

Despite fiascos over the new Wembley and Picketts Lock an Olympic bid for 2012 could still be favourably received

At least 22 members of the International Olympic Committee will be here to experience the XVII Commonwealth Games, which get under way today. Among those charged with helping them to do that is Craig Reedie, one of the directors of Manchester 2002 and, more crucially, one of Britain's two IOC members.

Reedie will certainly not be donning a flat cap and greeting his colleagues with the words "alright, kid?'' – a cultural cliché that, sad to relate, was once proposed as a winning notion for Games volunteers. What Reedie will be doing as he escorts his compadres around facilities originally conceived of in an Olympic context but now standing ready to host the largest multi-sport event ever held in Britain, is ensuring that they fully appreciate what this nation can offer a major international event.

Ten days of sunshine would not hinder his cause, or the idea that London might yet mount a bid for the 2012 Olympics.

As the Queen's Baton Relay reaches its conclusion today, the Manchester Games will be receiving a metaphorical baton that has been delayed, fumbled and dropped on its way round. The long running fiasco of delay over the construction of a National Stadium at Wembley and the Government's shameless decision to renege on its commitment to offering the 2005 World Athletics Championship a location in London have caused Britain's international sporting reputation to plummet.

When the government's decision not to support a proposed new stadium at Picketts Lock was announced in October of last year, the British Olympic Association's chief executive, Simon Clegg, spelled out the dire consequences for Britain's standing as related to him by the recently-elected IOC president, Jacques Rogge. "Dr Rogge's message was unequivocal,'' Clegg said. "If we failed to get the World Athletics Championships, there would be no point in bidding for future events. Our reputation was on the line.''

But an interview Rogge gave to BBC Radio Five Live at the weekend indicated that reports of the death of Britain's reputation may have been exaggerated. Belgium's former Olympic yachtsman, who has a reputation as an Anglophile, said Manchester could change the image Britain had projected to the international sporting community. "Manchester can produce something that is very positive for future international events in the UK,'' Rogge said, "And I think it is definitely going to have an influence on the potential bid for London in 2012.''

He denied that Britain was now a laughing stock in international sporting circles. "No, not that bad,'' he said. "It was disappointing to see the unraveling of Picketts Lock because of the great tradition of sport in your country, but I think lessons have been taken from it. If Manchester goes well and if the question mark of a modern Olympic Stadium is lifted, then Britain has all chances."

While the IOC is now sounding as if it wants to be convinced, there remains a chilling sense of caution within the Government. Hard questions are being asked of the detailed report into a London bid for the 2012 Olympics, which was supplied on the BOA's behalf by Arup, the consulting engineers.

The report – which envisages an East London based event which would cost £3bn, with £0.5bn coming from Government funding – is currently undergoing, in official parlance, cash budget analysis.

"The BOA has spent two years producing the research," Reedie said. "The BOA is likely to be in favour of a 2012 bid, and London is in favour. The third main shareholder, the Government, has now got to tell us where it stands. It's a huge project, and whatever Manchester's success, the government department will take a good, cold, hard look at it before a decision is made at cabinet level, although I wouldn't expect that until early next year.

"What we must do now with these games is show the rest of the world that we can organise a major sporting event. Dr Rogge is much more bullish about Commonwealth Games success and the potential for a London bid thereafter. So these Games are important for two reasons – to help people forget we fouled up with the decision over building a stadium in North London, and to help the Government believe that hosting big events is a good thing to do.''

* Iwan Thomas yesterday admitted defeat in his struggle to defend the Commonwealth Games 400 metres title he won in Kuala Lumpur four years ago. The 28-year-old Welshman has pulled out of the individual event in Manchester because continuing injury problems have left him short of the form he expects of himself, although he still intends to run for his country in the 400m relay.

TODAY'S SCHEDULE

DIVING (Manchester Aquatics Centre): Women's 1m springboard preliminary (11.00); Men's 1m springboard preliminary (11.59); Women's 1m springboard semi-final (14.00); Men's 1m springboard semi-final (14.35); Women's 1m springboard final (16.35); Men's 1m springboard final (17.10).