International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge believes it was the right decision not to pick David Beckham on sentimental grounds for the Great Britain football team.
Beckham was bitterly disappointed after he was not chosen by Stuart Pearce as one of three over-age players for the Team GB squad.
But Rogge said the manager's choice should be respected - and he now wants former England midfielder Beckham to have an ambassadorial role at London 2012.
Rogge told CNN World Sport: "This is the law of sport, in sport you are judged by the qualities you display. The head coach is the head coach - if the head coach decides not to field the player that's the end of it.
"Of course we'd have loved for David Beckham to be able to play a role in the Games and I believe that the London organisers are looking for ways to take Beckham back in the mould of the Games.
"He's done a great job in bidding for the Games, he's a great personality, he's a very liked person, but it's the law of sport.
"You win or you lose, or you are fielded or not fielded by the head coach, that's the law of sport and nothing will change. "This is not an issue for sentiments, it's not an issue for nostalgia - it's about being the best athlete in the world in your own place, in your own sport."
Rogge added that he was eagerly anticipating a number of events at London, including the 100m showdown between Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake, and British sailor Ben Ainslie going for a fourth consecutive gold.
Rogge said: "I will watch the 26 sports, of course I will not be able to see the finals of all of them so there will be a lot of qualifications, quarter-finals, semi-finals, but I will watch the 26 sports.
"There is a number of events I'd like to watch in particular because they are the most iconic events. "I want to see the fight between Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake in the sprint, I want to see the swimming competition between Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps, I want to see if Ben Ainslie wins his fourth consecutive gold, I want to see if Vezzali the Italian fencer also wins her fourth consecutive gold and many more of these events - this is the richness of the Olympic games."
