London could end up with the Olympic Games again (Picture: Getty)

The Olympic Games could make a dramatic return to London in 2016 under plans being looked into by the organiser’s official body.

According to reports, the International Olympics Committee has held secret talks to discuss the possibility of London taking over hosting the event from Rio.

The IOC are concerned about the lack of progress Rio has made in its planning for the event, with sections of the Brazilian media calling its management ‘shambolic’.

A senior IOC official told reporters this week that Rio’s planning is ‘the worst I’ve ever seen’ while urgent work on speeding up progress has begun.


Work in Rio has been painfully slow (Picture: Getty)

But alternatives, if Rio can’t deliver, are being looked into, with London apparently being sounded out as a back-up.



The Evening Standard reports a top level source saying a return to London ‘is unlikely’ but would ‘be the logical thing to do’.

They said: ‘At a comparable planning stage in 2004 Athens had done 40 per cent of preparations on infrastructure, stadiums and so on. London had done 60 per cent. Brazil has done 10 per cent – and they have just two years left. So the IOC is thinking, “What’s our plan B?”

‘Obviously, the answer would be to come back to London.’

London organisers are said to have already been approached and have given the green light to taking on the project. However, rather than go back to a previous host Glasgow, which will hold the Commonwealth Games in July, is said to be another possible option.