KUWAIT: OLYMPIC GAMES - The Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee gather in Kuwait city to discuss alleged spiralling costs of the 2012 London Games and doping probe at 2006 Winter Olympics

The Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee gathered on Thursday (November 29) in Kuwait city and IOC officials played the media frenzy regarding the alleged spiralling costs of the 2012 London Games as surprising and premature. IOC president Jacques Rogge said London's progress was good and that the cost of hotting the Games should not be confused with a budget aimed at building a lasting legacy for the city. Regarding Beijing 2008, the IOC president said a flexible schedule will be debated by the IOC radio and TV commission starting on December 12. "We have said to all the broadcasters that we want to study with them either the possibility of having a fixed programme that never changes in respective of the time zone, either to have a flexible schedule that allow for some shifts in order to find the best possible compromise for all the broadcasters," he said. Rogge added: "We see various options whereby some competitions to be having another schedule but always of course with the basic requirement that the safety and health of athletes will not be affected. So, we are going to have a very good discussion with the broadcasters and we will what comes out of that." The IOC executive board expressede confidence it would receive a "comprehensive" report by Italian authorities on the Austrian athletes being probed for doping at this year's Winter Olympics in Turin. Italian prosecutors are still evaluating evidence obtained during night-time raids on the athletes' quarters. The presence of banned coach Walter Mayer at the accommodation prompted the IOC to launch co-ordinated raids with the Italian police on the Austrian cross-country skiing and biathlon teams. Ten Austrian athletes were tested for possible signs of doping but were found to be clean. Mayer fled the scene before crashing his car across the border in Austria. He has since sued IOC president Jacques Rogge for defamation.

ITN Source | November 30, 2006

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