Bubka, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) senior vice-president, insisted last week London should honour its promise to deliver an athletics legacy from the 2012 Games by retaining the track, given that one of the bidders, Tottenham Hotspur, does not plan to include it.

Robertson, however, suggested the comments were fuelled by Bubka's political ambitions implying that there were "maybe some internal IAAF politics going on" between the former world and Olympic pole vault champion and London 2012 chair Sebastian Coe, who is also an IAAF vice-president.

Robertson has now told insidethegames he fully accepts Bubka's comments and that they are completely fair.

Asked if he felt he owed Bubka and apology, he said: "I have not had the conversation with Sergey Bubka face to face.

"Let's be absolutely clear about this - the Government is absolutely determined to leave an athletics legacy.

"All I said at the weekend is that I would absolutely expect the IAAF to remind us of the promise we made in Singapore and as a Government we are committed to carrying out that promise."

"That, I'm told, is exactly the point he was making.

"I really don't think there is any problem between us at all."

Robertson had referred to Coe as one of the "other vice-presidents in the mix [for the IAAF Presidency in the future] but his comments were then completely rebuffed by Bubka who said: "I am extremely disappointed to read that my concerns about the London 2012 stadium are being linked to political aspirations."

Bubka, who is also a highly influential International Olympic Committee (IOC) member, added he was simply asking "London keeps the promise it made in Singapore in 2005 to retain a running track to give future generations the opportunity to compete in a stadium" and added that he has "nothing but respect and admiration for my friend Sebastian Coe".

A number of IAAF members who serve on the IOC, including IAAF President Lamine Diack, are understood to have voted for London to host the 2012 Olympics on the grounds that athletics would gain a new world class stadium.

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