IOC still has one major position to vote on
Associated Press
With one momentous decision out of the way, Olympic leaders are nearing another.
While the vote to award the 2008 Summer Games to Beijing attracted massive worldwide attention Friday, members of the International Olympic Committee are more interested in another task: electing a new president.
With Juan Antonio Samaranch stepping down after 21 years in office, the IOC on Monday will choose the eighth president in the organization's 107-year history.
Five candidates are running for the most powerful post in international sports. Belgian surgeon Jacques Rogge is considered a narrow favorite over Kim Un-yong of South Korea and Dick Pound of Canada. Anita DeFrantz of the United States and Pal Schmitt of Hungary are long shots.
Beijing won the 2008 contest by a landslide over Toronto, Paris, Istanbul and Osaka. As Toronto bid chief John Bitove said yesterday: "It was one giant snowball rolling down the hill and we're standing at the bottom."
But the election could be tighter and less predictable.
There has been a flurry of furious lobbying in the foyer, bars, restaurants, corridors and meeting rooms of the IOC hotel in Moscow. Rumors of bargaining, vote-trading and alliances are rife.
Rogge remains well placed to become the IOC's second Belgian president. Henri de Baillet-Latour served from 1925-1942.
• Ethical issues: Frustration over the IOC's anti-corruption reforms surfaced yesterday.
Leading presidential candidates questioned the wisdom of a publicity gag on campaigning and rank-and-file members clamored to reinstate visits to bid cities.
Outgoing IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch refused a request that he withdraw nominations for new members — including his son, Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr., and Adolf Ogi, a friend and former Swiss president.
Key among the reforms adopted after the IOC's worst scandal was a ban on visits by IOC members to Olympic bidding cities. The action was meant to prevent an exchange of favors and cash for votes.
Loud applause erupted in the meeting when a Greek member, Nikos Filaretos, asked the IOC to consider reinstating the visits.
• 2012 bidders: With Beijing set for 2008, cities have begun positioning themselves for the 2012 Olympics. Germany and Italy are early candidates.
"We have to enter, we don't have a choice. Otherwise, the train will have pulled out of the station for a long time," said Thomas Bach, the IOC's vice president from Germany.
Rome Mayor Walter Veltroni, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and national Olympic Committee chairman Gianni Petrucci reportedly have declared their support to bring the games to Rome, site of the 1960 Olympics and unsuccessful candidate for 2004.
South America and Africa have never held the games, making it more difficult for a European city to be host in 2012.
