The mayor of London has criticised plans to explore a bid for the north of England to host the Olympics, saying that excluding London would be a “missed opportunity”.Ministers have commissioned an assessment by UK Sport which could inform a bid for the international sporting event in the 2040s. If the campaign were successful, it would be the first time the Olympic Games and Paralympics were hosted in Britain since London 2012.The London Aquatics Centre at Stratford. Using London’s existing facilities ‘would help deliver the greenest and most sustainable Games’, said the mayor’s office. Photograph: David Levene/The GuardianA spokesperson for Sadiq Khan said: “London is the sporting capital of the world and the mayor has openly expressed his ambition for the capital to be part of a future Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“Sadiq believes that a potential country-wide bid, using all the assets we have in the UK, including the publicly owned London Stadium, would deliver the very best possible Olympics.
“Using London’s existing world-class infrastructure would help deliver the greenest and most sustainable Games, as well as unlocking huge economic growth both here in London and around the country.
