The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) has created an international affairs division, combining the USOC’s international relations office with the U.S. bid administration offices for the Olympic and Pan American Games. The new division will work toward bringing the 2012 Summer Games to New York, reports ESPN.
The new division will oversee details of the U.S. Olympic torch run in June 2004 and will also serve as a liaison between the USOC and New York’s 2012 Olympic bid committee.
Greg Harney was named managing director of the international affairs division and Chris Sullivan will be director of the liaison between the USOC and New York 2012. Sullivan will open a USOC office in New York next month.
The new division might have been created just in time. It may have prevented a miscommunication between the USOC and the International Olympic Committee just last weekend.
International Olympic Committee officials announced last weekend they want information about the USA’s past anti-doping practices.
According to reports USOC attorney Jeff Benz responded to allegations the USOC inappropriately cleared two former U.S. track and field athletes, but IOC President Jacques Rogge said he never asked for a response to the specific allegations but rather for “general information” to determine whether there were systematic problems in the USOC’s doping control program over the past 15 years.
Meanwhile USOC vice president Paul George, who was recently put in charge of international relations, was flying home from Madrid during the meeting unaware it was even taking place.
USA Today reports that the weekend’s miscommunication is the latest misstep that could put the USOC in a bad light, both domestically and internationally.
It could even endanger New York’s bid for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games.
