West Ham United have been chosen to inherit the London Olympic stadium after the 2012 Games, defeating a bid from English Premier League football rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
The Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) made a unanimous recommendation to back West Ham's plans over an audacious bid from Tottenham, who planned to remove the running track and knock down the 500 million pound ($800 million) stadium in favour of a purpose-built football ground on the site.
The authorities are keen to have a viable tenant to ensure that the stadium, centrepiece of the 9.3 billion pound Olympics, helps to regenerate the rundown area of east London, one of the poorest parts of the capital.
The OPLC decision, which must be rubber-stamped by London mayor Boris Johnson and the government, won strong endorsement from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and honours a commitment made when London was awarded the Games in 2005.
