As the "pitched battle for control of Australia’s Olympic movement enters its final stage," Danielle Roche has vowed to "challenge an article of faith" of President John Coates' Australian Olympic Committee: the "suffocating restrictions that prevent sports from promoting their own teams and athletes during the Games," according to Chip Le Grand of THE AUSTRALIAN. The "bold and potentially high-risk assault on the AOC's marketing and commercial restrictions" is in response to demands from Olympic sports that are "currently unable to tweet the popular name of their team or publish images of their own athletes" during a six-week "blackout" period surrounding the Games. Roche: "A common theme that has come up among the sports is how difficult it is for them to promote their sports through the period when they have their moment in the spotlight. I haven't been privy to the sponsorship contacts. However, it would be my objective to find a way, where the AOC sponsors are protected, to allow the sports to promote their own sports in Australia. Without being privy to the details of the AOC contracts, I see no reason why we can't help the sports promote their own teams throughout the Olympic period." The AOC restrictions are an interpretation of Rule 40 of the IOC’s Olympic Charter. The stated aim of Rule 40 is to "preserve the unique nature of the Olympic Games by preventing overcommercialisation." Roche's pledge to "try to loosen these restrictions opens her to attack from Coates," who during his 27 years as AOC president helped draft the by-laws that regulate the commercial activities of national sports federations. Coates is "acutely sensitive to criticism that the AOC hoards sponsorship" and distributes a "meagre financial return" to its sports (THE AUSTRALIAN, 5/3).
'UNUSUAL' BEHAVIOR: In Sydney, Leo Schlink reported Roche said that she is "disappointed" the AOC rejected a request to address voters at Saturday’s "hotly-contested presidential election," a wish the organization deemed "impractical." She "has found an ally in prominent business and sports figure Andrew Plympton, who is running for the AOC vice presidency." Plympton is "alarmed" at Coates' use of AOC services to "woo the 40 national summer and winter Olympic sports federations" that will vote. He said, "Well, it's unusual behavior at best. ... I would have thought convention dictates that the offices of the AOC, its personnel, its systems and connections are not to be used for election purposes. Danni was not, and should not, be afforded that benefit, other than mail lists that allowed contact. So why should the current holder of the president’s position be afforded that benefit?" (HERALD SUN, 5/2).
STAMP OF APPROVAL: In Melbourne, Baum & Bachelard reported former IOC VP Kevan Gosper endorsed Coates to continue as president while "ruing the harm done to the Olympic movement" by the campaign to replace him with Roche. Gosper also said that it was "imperative that Coates patch up his feud" with Australian Sports Commission Chair John Wylie. Gosper: "When I compare Coates' credentials to carry on with the role, I think they're substantially superior to the contender. I would hope if he is successful that he would move to work more closely with the government and the sports commission. I believe he will." Gosper added, "What has concerned me is the damage that the campaign to displace John has done to the Olympic brand here in Australia. Unlike a normal contest, there's been no great promotion of the candidate, rather a sustained attack on the incumbent" (THE AGE, 5/2).
RELATIONSHIP BUILDING: In Sydney, Margie McDonald reported Australian Paralympic Chef de Mission Kate McLoughlin "wants to keep building the strong relationship" with the AOC, "no matter who is AOC president after this weekend’s election." McLoughlin was on Tuesday confirmed as the Australian Paralympic team's chef de mission for the Tokyo 2020 Games, "appointed with full board approval from the Australian Paralympic Committee." McLoughlin: "Absolutely whatever happens, we at the Paralympics want to see our relationship with the Olympic committee stay strong. We’d love to build on it and that makes sense. They do exactly the same thing we do" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 5/3).
