?London?s ambition is not just to be a good Olympics ? it has to be the best,? said Lord Coe, chairman of the London Olympic bid, as he welcomed members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to the capital last week for a four-day assessment of the suitability of London as the host for the 2012 Olympic games.

IOC members were taken to world iconic landmarks including the new Wembley Stadium (due to be opened 2006), Wimbledon, Lord?s, Hyde Park, Horse Guard?s Parade and the Dome, all of which will host competitions if London is successful in its bid. In addition, IOC members travelled by underground to the Lower Lea Valley in east London, where major regeneration projects will transform the area into the compact, main Olympic site of the 2012 games.

Key strengths of the London bid including transport, athletes? facilities and security were showcased during the visit. Transport minister Tony McNulty told IOC members that London?s Olympic Park would be the most accessible in the history of the games. There would be 10 separate rail lines giving access to the Olympic Park including a high-speed Olympic Javelin shuttle to provide connections to central London in just seven minutes, using the new Channel Tunnel Rail Link.

Within the Olympic Village, there would be accommodation for every athlete. Simon Clegg, chief executive of the British Olympic Association, told the IOC that the bid team had paid strong attention to previous games and planned to take forward their successes. ?Our aspirations are to create an Olympic Village which will reflect the efficiency of Sydney, the quality of accommodation in Athens and the carnival atmosphere experienced in Barcelona.?

Sir Steve Redgrave, five times Olympic gold medallist, noted ?We wanted to let them [the IOC] know that the experience of athletes, who have been to many games and are experts in the field, has been used to enhance the bid.? Security was also high on the IOC agenda. They received a presentation on security plans from Sir Ian Blair, chief of the Metropolitan Police. The Met has a great record in managing public events.

On Friday, the evaluation team met Tony Blair and other senior politicians in Downing Street to discuss elements of the bid relating to Government. Both Michael Howard (Conservative Leader) and Charles Kennedy (Liberal Democrats Leader) attended this meeting, demonstrating the cross party support for the bid. The visit ended with a celebratory reception and dinner at Buckingham Palace hosted by the Queen and Prince Phillip and with a wide range of guests, from Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, to Olympians such as Sir Steve Redgrave, Jonathon Edwards, and Tanni Grey-Thompson.

On the ground, London was taken over by Olympic fever. The Olympic logo was seen on buses, lamp-posts, and taxis all over the capital. The new Wembley Arch was lit up to welcome the IOC committee and throughout the visit other prominent buildings including Big Ben, Tate Modern, and the Tower of London were lit up with the London 2012 logo.

Double gold-medallist Dame Kelly Holmes was particularly taken with the public enthusiasm, saying, ?The British public are amazing ? they are right behind the bid and if we win it there will be no doubt that every venue for every event will be sold out. It will be the best games ever.?

All in all, the London bid team is very pleased with how the evaluation visit went. Whether or not we are successful in Singapore on 6th July is up to IOC members. But, whatever happens, the UK can be proud to have presented a strong, deliverable bid which would provide a great Games and legacy for the future.