Deighton’s Olympic record warrants a spot alongside Coe
THE multi-millionaire investment banker who was yesterday unveiled as the new chief executive of the London 2012 organising committee safely negotiated an inevitable sports knowledge test.
Paul Deighton, the Goldman Sachs chief operating officer in Europe, said childhood memories of the Olympics inspired him to turn his back on his highly lucrative job.
The 49- year- old — estimated to have a £100million fortune — remembers listening to radio commentary in 1964 as Scottish s w i m m e r B o b b y McGregor narrowly m i s s e d o u t o n 100metre freestyle gold to Don Schollander.
Deighton was also spot- on with other early Olympic memories of Lynn Davies winning long jump g o l d a n d D a v i d H e m e r y ’ s 4 0 0 m hurdles triumph four years later. However, Deighton baulked at answering who was third in that Hemery race, despite it being John Sherwood, the Sheffield athlete who most inspired a young Sebastian Coe.
But after 22 years at Goldman Sachs, Deighton proved to be a safe pair of hands in contrast to Minister of Sport Richard Caborn, who failed to answer simple sports questions after his appointment and Sky TV b o s s M a r k B o o t h , who back in 1998 could not name Manchester United’s left back after his network’s bid to buy the club. Even David Beckham in Singapore described ‘Coe running barefoot’ as his best Olympic memory.
L o r d C o e k e p t Deighton’s share pricesensitive appointment under wraps until yesterday by handling the final selection process himself, along with deputy chairman Keith Mills. C o e s a i d : ‘ T h e Olympics are multidimensional and we wanted someone with an exceptional record in building teams, and I think we’ve found that person.’
CHELSEA didn’t send one club
representative with Frank Lampard to the
prestigious FIFA World Player of the Year Awards in Zurich even though it was expected he would finish in the top three. Indeed, he was runner-up to Ronaldinho who was accompanied by a Barcelona delegation. In contrast to Chelsea’s attitude, the FA felt it worthwhile that their top two executives, Brian Barwick and David Davies, went all the way to Japan for the FIFA Club World Championship in support of Liverpool.
IT wasn’t the best of
public relations exercises yesterday when, around the time his England team were heading for another defeat in Pakistan, injured captain Michael Vaughan was settling into his seat at the Sheffield Arena with his daughter to watch Postman Pat, Bob the Builder and the Tweenies taking part in a CBBC children’s show.
DONCASTER fans asked the new Archbishop
of York, the Rt Rev Dr John Sentamu, to
support them in their Carling Cup quarterfinal against Arsenal tomorrow — either by turning up in advance or blessing the pitch. However, a Bishopthorpe Palace spokesman has revealed the Archbishop is a Manchester United supporter.