Coe's 2012 Olympic vision

Lord Coe will open the International Olympic Committee's visit to London tomorrow with a passionate speech outlining how the 2012 Games would completely change the face of British sport.

It emerged today that the London 2012 team will play their important "legacy" card on the opening morning of the four-day visit. Members of the 13-strong evaluation commission began arriving in the capital today.

The IOC like to leave a "Five Rings Stamp" on host cities where the Olympics have made a real difference.

Seb Coe will explain how Games in Stratford will bring about a massive regeneration of east London, creating the biggest urban park in Europe for hundreds of years.

More importantly to the IOC members, he will show how London, which is desperately in need of modern facilities for Olympic sports, would become a major sporting capital for international events.

The main Olympic complex is also expected to be turned into a new brain centre for British sport after the Games with training facilities and offices for key governing bodies.

London has a major advantage over its main rival Paris in terms of legacy.

The French already have their stadium in place - the Stade de France - but it was built for the 1998 World Cup and will always be associated with football. Coe will tell the commission that a new swimming complex is already being built in Stratford, regardless of whether London wins next July's vote.

Mayor Ken Livingstone also announced today a £22million funding package for a state-oftheart VeloPark in the Lower Lea Valley.

The complex will include an indoor 1500-seat velodrome (upgraded to a 6,000 capacity for the Games), an outdoor cycle speedway circuit, a

1.6km road racing circuit, an international competition BMX course, a BMX freestyle park and a cyclo-cross/ crosscountry course mountain bike course.

The complex will be funded by Sport England (£10.5m), the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority (£6m), the London Development Agency (£ 3million) and Transport for London (£2.5m).

Sports minister Richard Caborn, who also met the IOC delegation at the airport when they flew into London, is also confident.

"Technically we have got the best bid" he said. "The development of the east end of London is what the Olympic movement is looking for. It is something which is sustainable and will add a legacy."