The former double Olympic 1500 metres champion made his claim in an interview published in the Jamaica Gleaner today.

 

Coe said: "We want medals and we want big British moments, but the reason I am so keen to get medals is not because I want to finish second or first or 20th on a medals table.

 

"It's because every medal has to be a converter for 10,000 more people to take up sport.

 

"Every medal is a role model and every role model we want to use as a way of getting more people excited by what they achieve.

 

"So for us it is very, very important that we do get medals and there is more funding going into elite level sport than probably there has ever been, but we also need to make sure that we do not forget the participation side as you need healthy grassroots in all your sports."

 

Coe also said that the 2012 Olympics will "reflect" Britain.

 

He told the newspaper: "I think every Games has to be individual.

 

"You want to be able to tap into things that other Games have done to make it a great experience for competitors and we should not be ashamed of doing that.

 

"If a Games has really understood the nature of how we get people engaged or you have changed the format for television production or you have done something differently we should never be ashamed of doing the same thing.

 

"But I think the London Games will need to reflect London and the United Kingdom and we will."

 

The full article can be read at http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20080601/sports/sports12.html.