IOC probes offers by N.Y., London

The International Olympic Committee is reviewing whether bid organizers in New York and London overstepped ethical bounds by making late offers of financial incentives to athletes and sports federations involved in the 2012 Games.

In a presentation in Berlin over the weekend, the New York bid committee detailed plans to extend free marketing services — including office space, computer equipment and staff — to international federations representing various sports during the seven years leading up to the Summer Games. Many federation officials are among the 117 IOC voters who will select the 2012 host city on July 6 in Singapore.

Along with New York and London, Paris, Madrid and Moscow also are bidding for the Games.

London made its own pitch in Berlin at a gathering of sports federation leaders and some IOC members. The London committee offered free airfare, restaurant discounts and other perks to Olympic athletes and team officials.

More than the incentives themselves, it was the timing of their release that drew the attention of the committee, according to officials involved in New York's bid. The offers came long after the cities had submitted their final bid documents and 12 weeks before the IOC is due to vote on its choice. Under IOC rules, cities are forbidden from introducing new incentives that were not included in their original bid packages.

Giselle Davies, a spokeswoman for the IOC, would not comment on what was being examined, saying, "There are different issues that are being looked into by the ethics commission right now."

The IOC has been especially attuned to any whiff of impropriety since the bribery scandal that marred the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, when committee members were found to have accepted gifts from bid organizers. The rules were tightened after that scandal to keep bid cities from trying to unduly influence committee members.