Source: www.insidethegames.biz
By Duncan Mackay
There were further signs of the developing relationship between the United States and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) today when it was announced that Larry Probst and Scott Blackmun have been appointed to key Commissions.
Probst, the chairman of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), has been given a role with the IOC's International Relations Commission while Blackmun, the chief executive, has been included on the IOC Marketing Commission.
Probst and Blackmun have spearheaded the campaign to repair the fractured relationship between the USOC and IOC, damaged by a series of rows over financial disputes, plans to launch a US Olympic television network and Chicago's humiliating failure to be awarded the 2016 Olympics and Paralympics.
"We are grateful that the IOC has selected us to serve alongside so many important leaders of the Olympic Movement," Blackmun said
Blackmun's presence on the Marketing Commission, headed by Norway's IOC Executive Board member Gerhard Heiberg, is seen as being of particular significant in light of the long-running financial disputes between the USOC and IOC.
The row over the fact that the USOC continue to receive 20 per cent of the Olympics global sponsorship revenue and 13 per cent of US broadcasting rights has been an open sore in the Olympic Movement for several years and in 2009 contributed to Chicago being knocked out in the first round of voting for the 2016 Olympics and Paralympics, despite the presence of US President Barack Obama.
The Marketing Commission contains several prominent IOC members, including Germany's Thomas Bach and Puerto Rico's Richard Carrion, who are seen as the leading contenders to replace Jacques Rogge as President when he steps down in 2013.
Other members includes Britain's Sir Craig Reedie, Patrick Hickey, the President of the European Olympic Committees, and Dick Pound, the former President of the World Anti-Doping Agency.
The International Relations Commission, which is chaired by IOC vice-president Mario Pescante of Italy and includes the chairman of the British Olympic Association, Colin Moyniahn, deals with various global issues, including the IOC's recent status as a permanent observer at the United Nations.