But it will mean that come the end of 2012 he will be on the market. How does he describe his life since 2008?

"Building an infrastructure of this scale is very exciting. It is the best job in IT, but occasionally the worst," he says of the constant attention of all-too-willing critics.

"We have achieved a remarkable amount. The worst bit of Manchester was after the closing ceremony. The adrenaline is over, people are very tired and many people are leaving, but there are things that have to be done."

Having worked on a Commonwealth Games and now an Olympics, would he consider promoting himself a specialist at this unique type of CIO challenge?

"I'm not doing one of these again. I said that after Manchester, but I couldn't turn down the Olympics," he says.