On the Scene at SportAccord - IOC EB Lunches with Putin, Awaits Word on Schmitt

(ATR) Preparations for the next three Olympics are "pretty much on track," according to the IOC.

Communications Director Mark Adams was short and sweet in his assessment of today’s updates to the IOC Executive Board when speaking with the press later Thursday.

Adams took questions without the help of Olympic Games Executive Director Gilbert Felli, who flew back to Switzerland for personal reasons – "nothing serious," according to Adams.

In brief remarks on each of the upcoming Games, he said Sochi "has proved it is increasingly ready," Rio reported positive developments such as a new headquarters and organizational structure, PyeongChang staged a successful logo launch and Nanjing is gearing up for the 2013 Asian Youth Games ahead of the 2014 Youth Olympics.

Putin Lunches with IOC

Security was tighter and schedules were rearranged Thursday at the SportAccord Convention in St. Petersburg to make way for a special guest.

Russian President Vladimir Putin stopped by the SportAccord Convention to lunch with EB members.

Putin and IOC President Jacques Rogge both delivered short speeches confirming their commitment to the 2014 Winter Games, according Adams, then engaged in private conservation with their tablemates.

Schmitt Ruling Waits

Pal Schmitt will remain an IOC member for the time being as the Ethics Commission awaits word from a university court investigating charges he plagiarized large portions of his doctoral thesis.

Schmitt, who resigned as president of Hungary last year and suspended himself from the IOC pending the probe by Semmelweis University, on Thursday received a reprimand from the EB upon recommendation by the Ethics Commission.

According to Adams, the double Olympic champion fencer has also voluntarily – and permanently – suspended himself from any IOC commissions.

Earlier this month, the university confirmed the outcome of an investigation last March that more than 200 pages of the 215-page thesis – titled "An analysis of the program of Modern Olympic Games" – have "unusually large amounts of verbatim translation."

The scandal kept him away from the London Olympics, thought to be the first Schmitt has missed since winning a gold medal in fencing at Mexico City in 1968. Schmitt, who won a second Olympic gold at Munich in 1972 and competed in the 1976 Montreal Games, became an IOC member in 1983.

NOC Updates

Pakistani sports authorities were warned of a suspension of Pakistan from the Olympic Movement if a breakaway group continues to ignore the IOC’s communications and "disrupt the operations" of the recognized Pakistan Olympic Association.

That was the most serious case of the four NOCs on which the EB was briefed Thursday. The Indian Olympic Association, Ecuadorian Olympic Committee and the Sierra Leone Olympic Committee were the others.

On Pakistan, the EB "noted with great concern that the situation of the Olympic Movement in Pakistan has deteriorated" to the degree that it has, a statement said.

The longstanding dispute with the IOA must be solved by Sept. 1, the EB said, outlining a roadmap for a return to the Olympic Movement that includes a revision of the IOA constitution by July 15 and new elections by the September date.

In Ecuador, the acting president of the NOC and the country’s president met, and the EB "noted with satisfaction" that the president is willing to cooperate with the Olympic Movement to end a current conflict. However, if the government fails to live up to its agreements and continues to interfere with the EOC’s affairs, the EB warned suspension could be possible.

With the recent news that the sports ministry decided to "suspend" the SLOC, the IOC EB decided to send a letter to the ministry explaining the IOC’s position, hopefully leading to dialogue. The EB also warned Sierra Leone that suspension is possible if the actions continue.

Medal Promotions

Also on Thursday, EB members approved reallocations of medals from the 2004 Athens Olympics in doping cases already dealt with by the EB during meetings in December and February.

Vera Pospisilova-Cechlova of the Czech Republic is the new bronze medallist in women’s discus, Reyhan Arabacioglu of Turkey is the new bronze medallist in men’s 77kg weightlifting and Adam Nelson of the U.S. is the new gold medallist in men’s shot put. Shot put silver goes to Joachim Broechner Olsen of Denmark and bronze to Manuel Martinez of Spain.

Déjà Vu in Durban

Members of the Olympic Movement will return to Durban in 2015, the IOC confirmed Thursday.

EB members awarded the South African city with hosting rights to the 16th World Conference on Sport for All.

Durban previously staged the 2011 IOC Session as well as a share of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Reported in St. Petersburg by Matthew Grayson and Ed Hula III

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