TURMOIL DOWN UNDER? USA TODAY's Mike Dodd writes on
Sydney's preparation for the Summer Games in a Sports Cover
Story under the header, "Sydney Already Feeling The Heat."
Since October, SOCOG "has been under constant siege at home
for a series of fiascoes in its ticketing plans, sponsorship
shortfalls, budget reductions and political bickering."
Dodd: "How bad ... has it been? ... Organizers are welcoming
the [IOC] this week to boost their image!" Dodd writes that
IOC execs "are concerned the stream of negative publicity
will dampen the enthusiasm of Australians" (USA TODAY,
2/15). SOCOG will announce this week another $23.2M in
budget reductions that are "needed to make up a" $123M
"shortfall." IOC member Jacques Rogge said that there will
be "no further cuts" after this round (USA TODAY, 2/14).
NOTES: A DESERET NEWS editorial recognized the one-year
anniversary of Mitt Romney as SLOC President & CEO and
called his hiring "brilliant": "He has wisely concentrated
on going forward, devoting his energies to a successful
staging of the Games. Romney's open, straightforward
approach has already done a lot to restore the public's
trust in [the] SLOC" (DESERET NEWS, 2/13)....IOC President
Juan Antonio Samaranch has declared IOC VP and SOCOG Senior
Member Kevan Gosper as a "strong chance to succeed him as
head of" the IOC. Samaranch: "Kevan Gosper can be a very
strong candidate. I think there will be three or five
(people standing)" (SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, 2/13).
