IOC rejects campaign visits, discusses expulsion of sports

Friday, November 29th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

MEXICO CITY (AP) _ The International Olympic Committee overwhelmingly upheld a ban on member visits to bidding cities, and prepared to vote on a proposal to drop baseball, softball and modern pentathlon from the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

IOC president Jacques Rogge called the vote on the visits Thursday even though there was no formal proposal to end the ban on such trips by IOC members _ a restriction enacted after the scandal over gifts to Olympic officials during Salt Lake City's successful campaign for the 2002 Winter Games.

Several IOC members expressed resentment of the ban. But when Rogge called for the vote, only six of the 114 IOC members in the room raised their hands.

IOC member Dick Pound, Rogge's chief rival for the IOC leadership in 2001, said the organizations' leaders were saying, in effect, ``if there were a proposal, we'd be recommending against it but lets put a stake through the heart of it so it goes away.''

On Friday, the final day of the IOC meetings, the committee was to rule on the Olympic fate of baseball, softball and modern pentathlon.

A commission suggested in August that the three sports be eliminated from the 2008 games in Beijing, suggesting that they lack global appeal or added high costs to host cities. The commission suggested seven-man rugby or golf as possible replacements, though any vote on adding sports would not come before next summer.

The IOC banned member visits to potential host cities in 1999 as part of reforms meant to improve its reputation after 10 members resigned or were expelled for receiving cash, scholarships and other inducements from Salt Lake bidders.

Some members complained that the rules were vague and cast doubts on their honor.

``There is suspicion in the neutrality of the members and a hidden accusation and lack of confidence,'' said Samih Moudallal of Syria.

``It was the visit process that nearly brought us down in 1999,'' retorted IOC vice president Kevan Gosper. ``In one wrong decision, we could unstitch the entire process of rebuilding our reputation worldwide. I urge you not to step back into the past, the past that nearly killed us.''

Rogge said the $10 million it would cost to send members to five bid cities ``would be better spent for athletes.''

The no-visits rule will remain in place for the bid campaign for the 2012 Summer Olympics. New York City is the only officially declared candidate so far, but several European cities are expected to enter. The IOC will select the site in 2005.

In one concession, Rogge pushed through a provision allowing members to visit bid cities for professional or family reasons if they do not contact bid officials.

``If I have a client in New York I'm not going to give up my client because New York happens to be a candidate city,'' Pound said. ``I'm just not going to meet with anyone from the bid committee.''

Also Thursday, the IOC said the threat of terrorism prompted the organization to increase its financial reserves and consider taking out insurance to cover the risk of disruption or cancellation of an Olympics.

Rogge said the organization had reserves of $140 million and needed an extra $52 million in case the games are called off or are ``badly organized.''

The next Olympics are in 2004 in Athens, where organizers have a $600 million security budget.

The contingency funds are contained in a Swiss-based foundation created by the IOC in 1992 to ensure the Olympics can survive in the event of cancellation.

IOC finance director Thierry Sprunger said a recent internal study found the organization would need $192 million to continue operating for four years if the Olympics are called off. The IOC expects to obtain the remaining $52 million by the end of 2004, he said.

The IOC also is studying the possibility of taking out insurance, but Rogge acknowledged the difficulty.