USOC'S WALKER DROPS CONFLICT OF INTEREST ISSUE OVER HYBL

     USOC President LeRoy Walker has "dropped the organization's
conflict-of-interest issue" regarding the selection of a new
President.  The matter will not be on the Executive Board's
agenda this weekend, with Walker saying the matter is resolved,
according to Mike Dodd of USA TODAY.  While the USOC's ethics
panel recommended in December that two members of the nominating
committee "resign to avoid appearance of conflict of interest"
over ties with Bill Hybl, the leading candidate.  The two have
"refused to resign" and Walker said the matter is over.  However,
he did say the Executive Board can "take up the issue if it
chooses."  The two members represented federations receiving
grants or offers of grants from the El Pomar Foundation, which
was headed by Hybl.  The panel suggested they resign, but they
"resisted, saying they hadn't done anything wrong."  Walker:
"The ethics committee said it's a closed issue if they did not
resign" (USA TODAY, 2/16).