Redgrave: why I was wrong to question 'amazing' Coe

Exclusive: Olympic icons make their peace as Sir Steve holds his hands up and admits triumphant 2012 bid was led by the right man

Yet, Redgrave, the five-times Olympic rowing gold medallist, revealed last night that, until the final stages of the campaign, he had never been persuaded that Sebastian Coe was the right man to lead London's bid - and had told him so.

It was in June last year that Coe succeeded the former head, American-born businesswoman Barbara Cassani, as chairman of London 2012. She stayed on as a vice-chairman, with responsibility for technical aspects of the bid, but her public profile reduced to virtual anonymity.

Redgrave, who was originally appointed to the 2012 board by Cassani and who has been an instrumental part of the campaign from the start, met with her and Coe at the time that change of responsibilities took place. The oarsman had long been an admirer of the woman responsible for the success of the no-frills airline Go.

"I was against Seb taking over because I wasn't sure he was the right man for the job," Redgrave says. "We had a long conversation about it and I told him of my concerns and reservations. I don't want to reveal exactly what I said but basically my view was that I didn't want a politician heading up our bid."

He adds: "First of all, this is a multi-million business venture and I felt we needed a business expert leading it. Seb has a bit of business experience but not a lot. Secondly, I didn't want someone using the London bid simply as a vehicle, a stepping stone to advance their own political aspirations.

"And especially, I didn't want a Tory politician running it at a time when we had a Labour government and a Labour Mayor of London. I could see all sorts of arguments, conflicts and problems ahead if that happened."

Coe insisted that he had no other agenda and his sole ambition was to bring the Games to London, the city of his birth. "He even promised me he was dropping everything else to become involved because he was so passionate about the bid," says Redgrave. "I actually think he took my comments as a positive not a negative. And looking back now, I'd like to think our meeting made him sit down and analyse what he needed to do and that he then followed some of my advice. But it's fair to say I still wasn't convinced about the situation for months afterwards."

He adds: "Now, though, I have to hold up my hands and say I was wrong because the job he has done has been amazing. And I said that to him immediately after he had made his final presentation to the IOC members in Singapore last Wednesday. I walked over to him and said 'Remember that talk we had and all the things I said? Well, I take them all back'. I told Seb 'You have done a fantastic job whether we win or lose, and I just wanted to tell you that before the decision is made so you know it's not clouded by any emotion in any way."

Redgrave admits he also had to review his opinion of the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone. "I didn't like his 'Red Ken' reputation from the days of the old GLC and I don't approve of some of his policies and the way he sometimes goes about things," he says. "But a lot of my pre-conceived ideas were blown away when I met him. I realised very quickly that he could see the benefits of this for London and that he was totally on board. And while I still might not agree with him on everything I now know his heart is in the right place."

Ultimately, Redgrave is convinced it was the appearance of the Prime Minister that secured the vote of the International Olympic Committee electorate. "The fact that he had taken time off from preparing to host the G8 summit to spend nearly three days backing our bid was incredibly well received," Redgrave says. "In contrast, the French president Jacques Chirac only flew in on the eve of the vote and seemed to me to be paying lip service to the whole thing. It was as if he was only there because he had to be there - a token presence rather than the driving force that was Tony Blair. I believe it was the Prime Minister who swung it in our favour."

Redgrave had arrived back at Heathrow on Friday morning in sombre mood. A celebratory press conference at Terminal Four was postponed, London 2012 being regarded as less significant in the public psyche than the events of London: 7 July, 2005. "Those responsible for this outrage are wicked and cowardly but London will go on and we will go on. I am confident of that because there are few places that have the incredible spirit and courage of London," insists the retired rower.

"Londoners endured the Blitz years, the IRA campaign and have shown time and again that nothing will stop them going about their daily business. And that's what we are like as a nation and I'm immensely proud of that. The harder they hit us the stronger we come back and that's what makes this country so special."

No doubt, had that media briefing gone ahead, there would have been closer questioning on the potential legacies of London's success. Redgrave believes that it will have a positive effect on the nation's health, particularly that of young people. "With all the video games and TV and the internet, they tend to be sitting on their backsides more. I think that's a far more important consideration than worrying about what they eat," he says.

"Our children probably do less sport in school than they've ever done, and outside school we're understandably so security-conscious now we don't allow them to kick a ball around in a park. There are many wider social benefits. We're all concerned about obesity rates and children, in particular, not doing enough exercise. London hosting the Games will encourage great improvement in that area."

Meanwhile, IOC president Jacques Rogge insists the Olympics will not follow football's lead and commit to rotating around the continents. An Italian member asked members in Singapore to consider staging the Games in Africa or South America. "The IOC is fighting against gigantism," said Rogge.