SLOC President Mitt Romney appeared on NBC's "Today"
show to promote the sale of tickets to the 2002 Olympic
Games, which begin today via www.saltlake2002.com (NBC,
10/10). Romney, on the ticket sales: "What I'm looking for
is what kind of problems we have, what kind of delays people
are facing, if there is one, and what kind of changes in
text or instructions we need to make it easier for people."
The SLOC/Tickets.com Web site has 2,400 "windows" open to
online users (S.L. TRIBUNE, 10/10). Ticket prices range from
$20 for "lesser events" to $700 for the "popular" events and
$885 for the Opening Ceremony (S.L. TRIBUNE, 10/10).
THE CONTENDER NO LONGER: IOC member Kevan Gosper said
Sunday that he will not run to succeed IOC President Juan
Antonio Samaranch. Gosper's announcement means that the
race to replace Samaranch is now down to IOCs VP Dick Pound
of Canada and Jacques Rogge of Belgium (Melbourne HERALD
SUN, 10/9). Gosper: "I did not want the presidency enough.
I go in a race if I think I can win. And I've certainly
thought up until recently I could" (SYDNEY HERALD, 10/10).
ALL EYES ON CHINA? In BUSINESS WEEK, Jay Weiner reports
that the Olympic "marketing prize" could come if Beijing
wins the 2008 Games, as U.S. companies "are already
positioning themselves for just such an outcome." GM and A-
B are official sponsors of the Chinese Olympic Committee and
GM is also "backing" Beijing's bid. OPUS CEO Mark Lewis:
"There's a lot of allure because it's such a huge
marketplace" (BUSINESS WEEK, 10/16 issue).
