USOC, IOC Build New Bridges in Vancouver

(ATR) The U.S. Olympic Committee moves forward with the IOC to forge new relationships, the first of two meetings this week in Vancouver with President Jacques Rogge and others from Lausanne.

Scott Blackmun, the new CEO on the job only a couple of weeks, met Rogge for the first time Monday afternoon in a 20-minute meeting at the Westin Bayshore Hotel. Blackmun was joined by USOC chair Larry Probst and the two IOC members from the United States: Anita DeFrantz and Jim Easton.

"We had a very cordial and productive discussion," Probst tells Around the Rings. "He seems like he's in a great frame of mind. And we talked a little bit about how the USOC can engage more productively with the IOC and he provided some very specific ideas about that."

Probst declined to share Rogge's ideas.

He said another meeting has been scheduled for later this week "and we hope that we'll continue to have good discussions here."

The USOC and IOC have agreed to begin discussions about the controversial revenue-sharing agreement in 2013 and Probst said there was no talk about changing that timeline. The U.S. Olympic Network did not come up during the meeting.

"We spent time talking about the things we agree on and left the things we disagreeon to a later date," Blackmun tells ATR.

"We agree that this a great Movement and that we need to be a supportive and successful partner in that."

Blackmun says the USOC raised the point about having a greater USOC presence at international events and Rogge agreed.

It was the second USOC/IOC meeting of the day.

Blackmun, chief operating officer Norman Bellingham and international relations chief Robert Fasulo also had a breakfast meeting Monday with Christophe De Kepper, Rogge's chief of staff.

Written by Karen Rosen in Vancouver.