• London Olympics 2012

Athletics chief warns organisers over London 2012 'lie'

Lamine Diack says London's legacy promise was a core part of their Olympic bid © Getty Images

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The head of world athletics has warned organisers of London 2012 they risk losing all credibility if they fail on their legacy promise of an athletics stadium in the capital.

Lamine Diack, the president of the International Association of Athletics Federations, warned Britain's international credibility would be severely compromised and its chances of hosting future events would be at risk if they failed to fulfil the promises they made during their successful bid for the 2012 Games.

"They'll have made a big lie during their presentation," Diack told BBC Sport. "There will be no credibility... of a great country like Britain.

"You can consider you are dead. You are finished. This nation has a number of heroes in athletics. I could spend an hour, listing one by one all those who've achieved fantastic things in athletics. They are still there, involved. And this country, this city, saying that I'm not able to have a stadium of athletics?"

With both Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham bidding to take over the Olympic Stadium after the 2012 Games, Diack, also a member of the International Olympic Committee, urged the Olympic Park Legacy Company to choose the Hammers' proposal.

West Ham intend to keep the running track in the stadium, whereas Spurs plan to tear down the stadium and replace it with a football-only venue and redevelop the current athletics site at Crystal Palace.

"Let us keep London's promise alive and leave an athletics legacy at the venue with a top football club as a valued partner," Diack said.

"This promise was not a footnote of London's bid: it was a core policy of their presentation to convince the Olympic family of their exciting, viable legacy plans."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.