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| IOC meets amid Beijing concerns | IOC meets amid Beijing concerns |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Olympic organisers are meeting in China six days before the Beijing Games, amid ongoing concerns about air pollution, internet restrictions and doping. | Olympic organisers are meeting in China six days before the Beijing Games, amid ongoing concerns about air pollution, internet restrictions and doping. |
| International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge arrived in Beijing amid a row over internet access for foreign journalists. | International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge arrived in Beijing amid a row over internet access for foreign journalists. |
| Lingering concerns about air quality are also hampering final preparations. | Lingering concerns about air quality are also hampering final preparations. |
| The IOC has also stripped the US 4x400m men's relay team of gold at the Sydney Games in 2000 after a doping admission. | The IOC has also stripped the US 4x400m men's relay team of gold at the Sydney Games in 2000 after a doping admission. |
| Sprinter Antonio Pettigrew admitted in June that he used banned substances between 1997 and 2003. | Sprinter Antonio Pettigrew admitted in June that he used banned substances between 1997 and 2003. |
| In other developments, Greek sprinter Katerina Thanou - who pulled out of the Athens Olympics in 2004 after failing to report for a drugs test - has threatened to sue Mr Rogge if she is barred from Beijing. | |
| The IOC's Kevin Gosper says a team will ensure websites are uncensored. | The IOC's Kevin Gosper says a team will ensure websites are uncensored. |
| She was banned for two years after missing her third test, but is now in Greece's athletic team for this year's Games. | |
| And athletics sources have told the BBC that seven Russian athletes at the centre of doping allegations were targeted after testers became suspicious of their unfailing punctuality at out-of-competition tests. | |
| Air fears | Air fears |
| The BBC's Alex Capstick, in Beijing, says leading members of the IOC are keen to know why politically-sensitive websites were blocked - despite a promise that foreign reporters covering the Games would be given complete access to the web. We do have fallback plans if all of a sudden it deteriorates to the point where the health and safety of our athletes might be in jeopardy Steve RoushUS Olympic team class="" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/jamesreynolds/">Reynolds' China: Predictions class="" href="/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7498198.stm">Beijing pollution: Facts and figures | |
| Access restrictions appear to have been eased in recent days, but the clamour was only slightly dampened by a rare press conference given by Chinese President Hu Jintao. | Access restrictions appear to have been eased in recent days, but the clamour was only slightly dampened by a rare press conference given by Chinese President Hu Jintao. |
| Mr Hu appealed to the international media not to "politicise" the Beijing Games | Mr Hu appealed to the international media not to "politicise" the Beijing Games |
| Air pollution also remains a big problem. | Air pollution also remains a big problem. |
| The Chinese authorities have been working on improving the dirty air that hangs over Beijing, but athletes remain concerned. | The Chinese authorities have been working on improving the dirty air that hangs over Beijing, but athletes remain concerned. |
| Steve Roush, head of sports performance with the United States team, said he is monitoring the situation and is optimistic. | Steve Roush, head of sports performance with the United States team, said he is monitoring the situation and is optimistic. |
| "We do have fallback plans if all of a sudden it deteriorates to the point where the health and safety of our athletes might be in jeopardy," he said. | "We do have fallback plans if all of a sudden it deteriorates to the point where the health and safety of our athletes might be in jeopardy," he said. |
| "But I don't think that if the air quality was at that level that the IOC would even allow for the competition to take place." | "But I don't think that if the air quality was at that level that the IOC would even allow for the competition to take place." |
| Doping scandals | Doping scandals |
| The IOC was going to discuss whether to allow Katerina Thanou to compete at the Games, but it now seems a final decision has been delayed until next Thursday. Thanou's lawyer has threatened to sue if she is not allowed to compete | |
| She was one of two Greek sprinters involved in a drug scandal that completely dominated the start of the 2004 Olympics in Athens before withdrawing. | |
| Now Thanou's lawyer has threatened to sue the IOC if she is barred from competing. | |
| The matter is muddied by the reallocation of the medals won by Marion Jones at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney after she admitted using drugs. | |
| Katerina Thanou came second to the US sprinter in Sydney, and theoretically would be in line to be promoted to gold after Jones returned her three gold and two bronze medals. | |