By Andrew Warshaw

McDonaldsJuly 24 - London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe has defended the decision to allow McDonald's to open a massive restaurant right in the middle of the Olympic Park.


The global fast-food chain are set to open a 3,000 square metre facility in the centre of the Park as one of four in total on the Olympic site.

But speaking to BBC's Sportsweek programme, Coe refuted the suggestion that such commercialisation sends out the wrong message.

McDonald's has been an Olympic sponsor for 35 years and Coe said: "Without sponsors you don't have a Games.

"Trying to raise the Herculean sums of money that we've actually raised in the most difficult economy for the delivery of the Games has been extraordinary."

McDonald's is set to be the only branded restaurants on site and estimates it will sell 1.75 million meals during the Games.

But Coe argued: "Alongside that we'll have the widest possible range of foods, British and otherwise.

"Nobody is forcing you to eat McDonald's on an hourly basis but let's be clear: without the support of sponsors, this [the Olympics] just does not take place."

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