Speaking at the announcement of the Laureus World Sports Awards 2012 shortlists, Coe stressed that getting Games preparations right was in part a process that needed to be made up as things went along.

Earlier this month it emerged that spending on security at London 2012 would rise from £282 million £282 million ($441 million/€328 million) to £553 million ($866 million/€643 million).

And a report by the National Audit Office warned of a gap in the transport plan regarding around 100 miles of the Olympic Route Network (ORN), including 35 miles of designated lanes.

"Things like transport and security always tend to come together towards the end of the project," Coe said.

"Because there are things you simply can't know at the very outset.

"People assume that you have all the answers from the start, and you don't.

"So security and transport are the two big pieces of the jigsaw that are coming together, although these are just two parts of the whole project.

"These are the hard miles, getting all the various parts together.

"The construction is largely complete already, but that's something you have to do anyway.

"The complicated thing is to pull all the various strands together, and we are working hard to do that.

"We are employing an extra 120 people a month at the moment in order to do what we need to do.

"We are in pretty good shape, although I say that without a vestige of complacency."

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