The IOC decision on Katerina Thanou's eligibility is expected August 7. (Getty Images)(ATR) The IOC's leadership faces some difficult decisions in meetings taking place on the eve of the Beijing Olympics.
The eligibility of Greek sprinter Katerina Thanou for the Games and the reallocation of medals stripped from disgraced American sprinter Marion Jones are among key issues that could go before the IOC Executive Board meeting Saturday and Sunday.
Beijing's air pollution problems and the ongoing controversy over internet censorship for media covering the Games from the Main Press Center may also make the agenda.
Representatives from BOCOG, VANOC, London 2012 and Sochi 2014 will update the IOC. Leaders of the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in 2010 are also delivering progress reports.
The 16-member executive board led by IOC president Jacques Rogge is meeting at the Beijing Hotel in the centre of the Chinese capital. It is followed by the 120th IOC Session, which takes place over three days starting Tuesday. Jacques Rogge and members of the IOC Executive Board have a busy weekend ahead. (ATR)
One of the biggest issues facing the IOC is whether to allow Thanou to compete at the Games. Thanou was the 2000 Olympic 100 meters silver medalist but later served a two-year ban for missing a drug test before the 2004 Athens Games.
The IOC said she would face a disciplinary review to examine her eligibility for the Beijing Games if she was named in the Greek squad.
Last month, the Hellenic Olympic Committee included her in the Greek's official team list, saying it could not exclude the 33-year-old because her doping ban ended in December 2006 and she legitimately achieved the qualifying time for her event.
The IOC is also expected to decide whether to reallocate the medals stripped from Jones after her doping admissions. Jones won five medals, including three gold at the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
Thanou, who finished second behind Jones, could be awarded gold, although the IOC might yet decide to leave the medal spot vacant.
IOC spokeswoman Emmanuelle Moreau tells Around the Rings that the Thanou case and the reallocation of medals would be discussed in the coming days, although not necessarily at the executive board. Sergey Bubka steps down from the executive board following the two-day meeting. (ATR)
It will be the last IOC Executive Board meeting for Sergey Bubka, who steps down as he finishes his stint as chair of the athletes' commission, and Gunilla Lindberg, IOC member from Sweden.
Ottavio Cinquanta, IOC member from Italy, is also relinquishing his post on the board. He will be replaced by Rene Fasel, president of the Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federations, subject to a vote of the IOC Session next week.
Richard Carrion and Zaiqing Yu, IOC members from Puerto Rico and China respectively, are both running for re-election to the board at the IOC Session.
The IOC is also expected to announce the short list for the 2012 Youth Olympic Games Monday.
It will reduce the field from Harbin, China; Innsbruck, Austria; Kuopio, Finland; and Lillehammer, Norway.
The four cities in the race to host the first edition of the Winter Youth Olympics submitted their initial bid dossiers June 19.
A postal vote will be made by the full IOC membership in November, with the result due to be announced in December.
Written by Mark Bisson
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