International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge wrapped up a weeklong IOC session in Singapore Saturday by saying “the message is clear. The IOC wants clean sport, the best athletes and universality”.
Baseball and softball were thrown out of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. Rogge said baseball must adopt tougher anti-doping rules in the United States and make Major League players eligible for the Olympics to have a chance of getting back into the Games after 2012.
The two sports remain on the list for the Beijing 2008 Games and can reapply in 2009 for readmission to the 2016 Games.
Rogge said, “in the case of baseball the best athletes are not competing and the major athletes perform in an environment where doping controls are not what we have in the Olympic world. The session thought there was not enough universal appeal (for softball)”.
Rogge said the two sports had not done enough to save themselves since the 2002 session in Mexico City, where the IOC put off a vote on dropping baseball, softball and modern pentathlon.
It was reported that there was still a possibility the committee could still bring baseball and softball back for 2012 but Rogge said, “the decision we’ve taken in the session is final. This is not the intention of the IOC or the session. It’s a seven-year process, not a two-year process. We will not leave enough time for London or teams to prepare – it’s not a realistic option”.
Rogge said the IOC would consider changing the rules in the future to allow for a simple majority vote to approve new sports. He said the sports may also be allowed to make presentations to the IOC before the vote.
“If there are too many hurdles for them, you have to bring down the hurdles. It’s fair that Olympic sports and non-Olympic sports have a level playing field”, he said.
