Libyan NOC Won't Miss Its Moammar Gadaffi; NBC Names 2012 Producer

(ATR) The leadership situation of the Libyan Olympic Committee is unclear following the escape of its president, Mohammad Gadaffi.

Gadaffi, son of the embattled dictator Moammar whose whereabouts are currently unknown, apparently fled to Algeria on Monday with other family members to escape rebels who have essentially taken over Libya.

However, Marwan Maghur, LOC secretary general, tells Around the Rings "the Libyan Olympic Committee is an established institution and is not dependent on any individual."

"It has the echanism in its statute to fill in the role in case any post is vacant or an elected member is not capable to perform his/her duties, which this seems to be the case here," he added in reference to Gadaffi’s departure.

Maghur noted that the LOC has not discussed how to proceed with its president in abstentia. He also says he has not talked with Gadaffi "for several months".

In the meantime, Maghur says he is in "close collaboration" with the IOC and the National Transitional Council.

"The Libyan Olympic Committee plays a vital role in serving the Libyan community and that will be reflected in our future," Maghur said.

The IOC would not go into detail about the situation in Libya, though a spokeswoman confirmed the IOC isin "regular contact" with the LOC.

"The situation in Libya remains unstable and it is difficult to get a clear picture of what is going on in the country. The IOC is, as ever, committed to an independent and fully functioning NOC and in particular to ensuring the presence of Libyan athletes at London 2012 regardless of what is transpiring in the country," she said.

NBC 2012 Plans Emerging

U.S. Olympic fans will get every sport of the 2012 Games broadcast live at some point during the competition.

Mark Lazarus, the head of NBC Olympics, told the Associated Press this could include live online streaming of events in addition to live TV broadcasts. NBC has come under criticism for showing tape-delayed events rather than live broadcasts during past Games.

Lazarus also announced that Jim Bell will serve as executive producer of the London Olympics. Bell is currently executive producer for "Today", NBC’s most profitable program. He served as coordinating producer under Dick Ebersol at previous Olympics.

Ai Weiwei Breaks Silences

Artist and former political prisoner Ai Weiwei says China’s capital is a "constant nightmare" where he does not feel safe.

The artistic consultant for the Bird’s Nest stadiumsaid in an opinion piece on Newsweek’s website that he doesn’t trust the judicial system in Beijing.

"Without trust, you cannot identify anything; it’s like a sandstorm. You don’t see yourself as part of the city – there are no places that you relate to, that you love to go," he said.

Ai said that this distrust permeates the entire city.

"Beijing is two cities. One is of power and of money. People don’t care who their neighbors are; they don’t trust you. The other city is one of desperation. I see people on public buses, and I see their eyes, and I see they hold no hope," Weiwei said.

"They can’t even imagine that they’ll be able to buy a house. They come from very poor villages where they’ve never seen electricity or toilet paper," he added.

Ai, who actively criticized the Chinese government, was arrestedApril 3 for tax evasion and was released three months later on June 22. His arrest was widely viewed as the government’s reaction to his activism.

The editorial piece is the first time Weiwei has penned a comprehensive criticism of the government since his arrest.

In the piece, his distances himself from the Olympic structure he helped to create.

"None of my art represents Beijing. The Bird’s Nest –I never think about it. After the Olympics, the common folks don’t talk about it because the Olympics did not bring joy to the people," he said.

Buenos Aires to Bid for 2018 YOG

Around the Rings has learned Buenos Aires will bid for the 2018 Youth Olympic Games.

Gerardo Werthein, president of the Argentina Olympic Committee, tweeted the news to ATR on Tuesday.

The 2018 YOG will be the third summer YOG. Singapore staged the inaugural edition last year, and Nanjing will host in 2014.

Media Watch

An editorial in The Denver Post urges the city’s mayor and Colorado governor to forge ahead with exploratory efforts to bid for the 2022 Olympics.

In a separate article, the paper analyzes the current state of affairs for the bid.

Lithuania is host of the Eurobasket 2011 hoops tournament. The sport is bigger than football and is the country’s "second religion".

Written by Ed Hula III.