Rogge under pressure amid torch protests

BEIJING — Under pressure to speak out on human rights and concerned about a threatened Olympic boycott, athletes want IOC president Jacques Rogge to provide stronger guidelines on how they should conduct themselves.

As Rogge began the first of five days of meetings Monday, the last run of the Paris torch relay was canceled following protests. The disruption came less than a day after demonstrators scuffled with London police. More problems are expected Wednesday during the route through San Francisco, the only stop in North America.

Rogge was asked by the president of the European Olympic Committees to spell out "what athletes can and cannot do" to express political views during the Beijing Olympics.

Patrick Hickey, head of the 49-member group, met Sunday with Rogge. The meeting came with the Summer Games four months away and against a backdrop of last month's riots in Tibet, China's ties with Sudan and criticism about the government's human rights record.

"We just want him (Rogge) to tell us straight out where athletes cannot give their opinion or make demonstrations," Hickey said. "There will be absolutely no gagging whatsoever of our athletes. We just want to be absolutely clear, and the only one to hear it from is the IOC president."

Hickey said Rogge promised to lay out ground rules Thursday when the IOC executive board meets with ANOC's membership. In general, athletes are prohibited under the Olympic Charter from expressing political views while at Olympic venues or from wearing clothing or other symbols that carry a political message.

"Our athletes are coming under pressure from the media," Hickey said. "We want to get them out of that pressure by telling them exactly what they can and cannot do. Then they can return to concentrate on training."

Hickey, an IOC member from Ireland, said there was no talk of a boycott within the ANOC, which represents 205 national Olympic committees.

"We are all 100 percent supporting going to the games," he said. "There's nobody talking about boycotts, not the slightest. No boycott of any description."

On Monday, Rogge brought up the issue of boycotts and protests along the torch relay, but he gave his brief speech after most Chinese officials had left the dais following opening speeches to the ANOC general assembly.

"I'm very concerned with the international situation and what's happening in Tibet," Rogge said. "The torch relay has been targeted. The International Olympic Committee has expressed its serious concerns and calls for a rapid, peaceful resolution in Tibet."

Rogge also tried to quell talk of any kind of boycott.