The IOC "shot down a suggestion by a Saudi Arabian official Tuesday
that the ultraconservative nation could seek to co-host the Olympics
with neighboring Bahrain by having male and female athletes compete in
separate countries," according to Stephen Wilson of the AP. Prince Fahad bin Jalawi Al Saud, an
int'l relations consultant to the president of the Saudi Arabian
Olympic Committee, told a French Olympic website that "resolutions
passed by the IOC last month open the door for a possible joint bid with
men's events on Saudi territory and women's competitions in Bahrain." But
IOC President Thomas Bach "quickly dismissed the idea," saying Saudi Arabia would be ineligible to bid for
the Olympics unless it complies with rules barring discrimination
against women in sports. Bach said, "A commitment to 'non-discrimination'
will be mandatory for all countries hoping to bid for the Olympics in
the future. ... If this
is not applied, the bid would not be admissible. Countries like Saudi
Arabia must really work to allow female athletes to 'freely
participate.'" IOC
spokesperson Mark Adams said, "You cannot simply 'outsource' certain issues to another territory." Fahad acknowledged Saudi Arabia faces "certain cultural constraints," especially involving women. Fahad: "Our society can be very conservative" (AP, 1/27).