LONDON (AFP) - British Olympic medallist Kelly Sotherton has warned against London being awarded the 2012 Games because she fears the city will be left an expensive "white elephant" of disused sites.
Sotherton, a heptathlon bronze medallist at this year's Games in Athens, made her comments just 48 hours before London was due to release details of its bid document here Friday and her remarks were widely reported throughout the British press Thursday.
"I am not 100 percent behind the London bid," said Sotherton, 28, who had been speaking in Birmingham where she will compete against Sweden's Olympic champion Carolina Kluft in February.
"I know it would be a good thing for London, for the area and for the jobs that will be created. But last year I went to Barcelona (where the 1992 Games were staged) and their Olympic stadium site was desolate.
"My fear is that the same could happen here and the area set out for the Olympics would become a white elephant. I don't think the London bid could be totally viable."
Sotherton is the first British athlete to publicly cast doubt on the London project which is now being headed up by Sebastian Coe, one of the country's greatest Olympians, who won 1500m gold at both the 1980 and 1984 Games.
Paris, New York, Madrid and Moscow are the other cities bidding to host the 2012 Games with the International Olympic Committee set to make its decision next year at a July 6 meeting in Singapore.
11/18/2004 - 12:18 GMT - AFP