IOC chief chides 2 bidders

BERLIN -- Determined to avoid a return to the abuses and corruption of the past, IOC president Jacques Rogge warned the five cities vying for the 2012 Olympics to obey ethics rules and stay out of a "bidding war."

Rogge chided New York and London on Wednesday for unveiling incentives in a late push for votes without clearing them first with the International Olympic Committee. He said the IOC could order the cities to withdraw the offers if they weren't included in the official bid documents submitted in November.

"We understand the candidate cities want to do more, but they have to understand where we come from," Rogge said. "We come from a period of excesses; we come from a period of red carpet treatment; we come from a period of where we had a corruption scandal in Salt Lake City. This is something we don't want to repeat."

The IOC ethics commission opened an inquiry Tuesday into whether New York and London broke bidding rules by promising financial, promotional and marketing benefits to international sports federations, athletes and national Olympic committees.

New York and London officials insisted their programs were accounted for in their official bid files and expressed confidence their committees will be cleared of any wrongdoing.

The proposals were announced this week during a major Olympic gathering in Berlin, the last big chance for bid cities to make pitches in the final stretch of the campaign. London and New York are competing against Paris, Madrid and Moscow. The IOC will select the host city on July 6 in Singapore.

"We do not want a kind of bidding war in the last days by the candidate cities to say, 'I promise you that,' and the next day, 'I promise you that,'" Rogge said at the close of a three-day IOC executive board meeting. "This is not good for the Olympic movement."

IOC ethics rules have been tightened since the Salt Lake City scandal, which led to the ouster of 10 IOC members for accepting cash, scholarships, lavish gifts and other improper inducements from the 2002 Winter Games host city. IOC members are now barred from visiting bid cities, and the candidates face strict limits on lobbying and promotions.

In a presentation Sunday to international federations, New York promised to market each of the 28 Olympic sports for free in the seven-year period leading to the games. Federations would get free office space, with computers, phones and staff.

Charles Battle, New York's international relations director, said the proposed Olympic Sports Marketing Council was outlined previously in the bid files and presentations.

"We developed a partnership that has nothing to do with enticements or inducements," he said. "We put it in our bid book and presented it to the evaluation commission. Clearly this is something within the rules. We feel comfortable about what we did."

On Monday, London announced a package of more than $20 million in assistance to athletes and Olympic committees, including $50,000 "credits" to each national Olympic body toward the cost of using pre- games training facilities in Britain.

London said it also budgeted $10 million to cover flexible, round- trip economy air fares for all 10,500 athletes and several thousand team officials. Other perks include $100 worth of free phone calls for athletes, free train travel throughout Britain after the games and discounts at restaurants, shops and theaters.

"We are providing the clarification that has been requested," London spokesman Mike Lee said. "We are able to show the way in which our commitments are based on our bid book and presentation to the evaluation commission. We believe they are consistent with the required process."

In other matters Wednesday:

-- Rogge urged U.S. pro leagues to adopt Olympic standards for drug testing and sanctions. Major league baseball's new policy calls for a 10-day suspension for a first failed test. Olympic rules mandate a two-year ban for steroids.

-- The IOC announced the procedure for finalizing the 2012 sports program. Each of the existing 28 sports will be put to a secret ballot on July 8 in Singapore.

To stay on the program, a sport must receive a simple majority of 51 percent. Any sport failing to get a majority will be dropped for 2012.

If one or more sports go out, the IOC will decide which of the five sports on the waiting list should be proposed for admission. They are golf, rugby, karate, squash and roller sports.

-- The IOC will hold a special congress in 2009 to consider the future of the Olympic movement, including a review of the reforms enacted after the Salt Lake City scandal. The venue will be decided later.

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