A key figure behind London's successful 2012 bid has hit out at Tottenham's plan to remove the running track from the Olympic stadium after the Games."It would be extremely regretful," said International Olympic Committee executive board member Sir Craig Reedie. "We would lose credibility."
Reedie prefers the rival proposal from West Ham to convert the arena into a venue for football and athletics.
"It seems an ideal use of a converted stadium in the Olympic Park," he added.
Premier League clubs Tottenham and West Ham are competing against each other to become the tenant of London's £527m Olympic Stadium after the 2012 Games.
Spurs, bidding in collaboration with entertainment and sports giants AEG, want to demolish most of the stadium, removing the track to ensure fans are close to the pitch.
West Ham say they will retain most of the structure, although they will reduce the venue's capacity from 80,000 to 60,000 to create an arena for football, athletics, concerts and community use in a collaboration with Newham Council.
The Olympic Park Legacy Committee will make its recommendations on the site's future to the Mayor of London and the government by 28 January.
Reedie, former chairman of the British Olympic Association, said Tottenham's proposal would undermine London's pledge to provide a track legacy for the stadium.
"We would lose all credibility [if the running track was moved]," he added.
"If we have one tenant of a major football club and it is going to keep the athletics track, that is my chosen option.
"It was sport that generated the Olympic Park in the first place.
"The only correct long-term usage is to have a stadium which can be used as the centre of future bids for major sports events, probably concentrating on what is the Olympic Games' leading sport."
Countering the argument that running tracks are incompatible with football, Reedie cited the example of Italian clubs Roma and Lazio, who share the Olympic Stadium in Rome.
The Spurs proposal has already attracted criticism for its lack of provision for athletics, with UK Athletics (UKA) labelling the initiative "completely unacceptable".
Source: BBC Sport
Source: BBC Sport