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LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AFP) - The IOC is examining what to do about blogs posted by athletes during the Olympic Games, amid fears that they could lead to scurrilous rumours being broadcast on the Internet.
The issue of blogging was discussed by the International Olympic Committee's Athletes's Commission. The process should allow Olympic chiefs to produce clear guidelines before the 2008 Beijing Games, an IOC spokeswoman said Wednesday.
"In principle, the commission is not against, but it's quite a delicate issue and we decided to investigate a little bit more," said Athletes commission chairman and former Olympic pole vaulter Sergei Bubka.
"It's a modern way for people who want to express their opinion, but we believe there should be certain rules respected by every athlete who participates in the Games and who is living in the (Olympic) village."
Under the Olympic charter, competing athletes are not allowed to double up as journalists during the Games, IOC spokeswoman Giselle Davies said.
But blogs -- effectively a personal web-based diary that can easily be augmented by pictures and video -- fall into a grey area that does not appear to be covered by the current rulebook, Davies explained.
Bubka said blogs raised questions of privacy and potential conflicts with media or television rights, which could be governed by a code of conduct for Olympic athletes.
National Olympic authorities were also approached by athletes who wanted to set up blogs, which are fast becoming a nigh on essential publicity tool.
The issue of blogging was discussed by the International Olympic Committee's Athletes's Commission. The process should allow Olympic chiefs to produce clear guidelines before the 2008 Beijing Games, an IOC spokeswoman said Wednesday.
"In principle, the commission is not against, but it's quite a delicate issue and we decided to investigate a little bit more," said Athletes commission chairman and former Olympic pole vaulter Sergei Bubka.
"It's a modern way for people who want to express their opinion, but we believe there should be certain rules respected by every athlete who participates in the Games and who is living in the (Olympic) village."
Under the Olympic charter, competing athletes are not allowed to double up as journalists during the Games, IOC spokeswoman Giselle Davies said.
But blogs -- effectively a personal web-based diary that can easily be augmented by pictures and video -- fall into a grey area that does not appear to be covered by the current rulebook, Davies explained.
Bubka said blogs raised questions of privacy and potential conflicts with media or television rights, which could be governed by a code of conduct for Olympic athletes.
National Olympic authorities were also approached by athletes who wanted to set up blogs, which are fast becoming a nigh on essential publicity tool.
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