After witnessing at first-hand Paula Radcliffe's sprint-finish victory in the New York Marathon on today, Coe said that he would be looking for such big showcase moments from British athletes in 2012, moments that would act as an inspiration for generations in the years beyond the London Games.

 

There is increasing pressure from the British Olympic Association, UK Sport and the Government for the team to finish fourth in the medals medal in 2012 to justify the extra funding the 26 Olympic sports are due to receive in the build-up.

 

Coe said: 'I'm less focused on whether we're fourth in the medals table or eighth.

 

"What I want are big British moments.

 

"I want great British moments that live in the memory of people for generations to come, that we can keep flicking the video back to.

 

"This is the aspiration.

 

"A medals table for me is meaningful in one way (in) that every medal is a role model and I want every role model to be the catalyst for 10,000 people coming into a sport that perhaps would not have taken it up if they had not witnessed that moment."