Former Olympic javelin champion Tessa Sanderson will have no say on the future of the Olympic Stadium because of a clash of interests.
Conflict of interests excludes javelin champion from staduim decision
Former Olympic javelin champion Tessa Sanderson will have no say on the future of the Olympic Stadium because of a clash of interests.
Sanderson is a board member of the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) who will make a decision on the stadium's future next week.
The head-to-head race to move into the £537 million stadium in Stratford, east London, is now at a crucial stage, with a decision soon to be made between the joint bid from West Ham and Newham Council or Tottenham and sports and entertainment giants AEG.
The OPLC has now discovered that Olympic champion 54-year-old Sanderson, gold medallist in 1984, who is an OPLC board member, also has a personal consultancy contract with Newham Council.
An OPLC statement read: "It has come to the Olympic Park Legacy Company's (OPLC) attention that board member Tessa Sanderson has a personal consultancy contract with Newham Council. This had not been disclosed to the company.
Excluded
"As a result, Tessa Sanderson has been excluded from all matters relating to the stadium process.
"As part of the decision concerning the future of the Olympic Stadium, the Legacy Company's board will recommend a preferred bidder to the OPLC's founder members, the Government and the Mayor's Office, who will then make a final decision.
"Newham Council is in one of the two shortlisted consortia bidding to lease the Olympic Stadium and therefore this represents a conflict of interest.
"Board members are obliged to give declarations of interests, including pecuniary interests, in any matter where there is a potential conflict of interest."
West Ham plan to convert the 80,000-seater stadium into a 60,000-seater arena for football, athletics, concerts and community use.
Spurs bid
Tottenham and AEG say they have no plans to keep an athletics track but would provide an athletics legacy elsewhere.
Tottenham have promised to invest in London sport as part of their proposal to take over the stadium, pledging to contribute to the refurbishment of the National Sports Centre at Crystal Palace.
Newham Council later responded to the exclusion of Sanderson from the decision to determine the future of the hub of the 2012 Games.
A council spokesperson said: "Whilst this is a matter for Tessa Sanderson and OPLC rules, the council have always been very clear about not involving Tessa in anything to do with the stadium.
"The mayor (Sir Robin Wales) has liaised closely with OPLC in respect of his interests to ensure he adheres to the protocols laid down by the OPLC."
