Athens, Feb 29: IOC President Jacques Rogge speaks about Olympics, transsexuals and Korea's Mr. Kim.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Saturday (February 28) ended a meeting in Greece where it reviewed various issues including preparations for the Athens games and the issue of transsexuals. IOC President Jacques Rogge also commented on last month's suspension of the South Korean vice-president Kim Un-yong. Rogge told a news conference afterwards that international experts had approved Greek security plans and every measure possible was to be put in place. He said Greece was making unprecedented efforts, but no-one could guarantee completely danger-free games. Greece is spending the largest amount ever on security plans for the games and has brought in an advisory board representing seven other countries to assist with security.

Rogge was speaking after the IOC concluded a three-day session of its executive board in Athens. He said there was still enough time to complete all the necessary work for the games, but only if Athens kept moving at a fast pace.


The Belgian IOC head said he was no more concerned about the preparations in Athens than he was over the Sydney 2000 plans, where there were also problems.


Athens has been dogged by negative press over its delays and slow start from the beginning to get major projects completed. There are still three or four major projects that have attracted the IOC's concern.


During the IOC meetings the issue of allowing transsexuals to compete in the Olympic Games was discussed but no decision was made, after Rogge said that his colleagues needed more explanations to understand the issue fully.


IOC medical director Patrick Schamasch said last November that transsexual athletes would be eligible for the Olympics once a certain amount of time had passed after sex-change surgery.


The waiting period had not been determined, he said at the time, but officials wanted to make sure that any side effects of hormone therapy had worn off.

The rule would cover both male-to-female and female-to-male cases. Some people contend that transsexual athletes have a physical advantage against other women.


Men have higher levels of testosterone and greater muscle-to-fat ratio and heart and lung capacity. But some doctors say testosterone levels and muscle mass drop after hormone therapy and sex-change surgery.


Until 1999, the IOC conducted gender verification tests at the Olympics but the controversial screenings were dropped before the 2000 Sydney Games.


One reason for the change was that not all women have standard female chromosomes. Rogge said on Saturday that the IOC will "re-draft everything".


"I realised that my colleagues did not well understand and that is absolutely normal because they have not studied medicine as I have done," he said.


"They did not understand fully the whole implications of this transsexual issue. At the same time, we have realised that the athletes commission was very worried about that and then I came to realise that we need to do a better job in explaining to people what it is about and to explain better to the athletes, to the public opinion in general, all that is underlying this issue and definitely also to expel any fears -- and fears mostly come out of ignorance."


Rogge also commented on South Korea's IOC vice-president Kim Un-yong, who was arrested in January pending indictment for embezzlement, bribery and other charges.


He resigned on January 9 from key posts, including his seat in the South Korean parliament after being under investigation in Seoul for alleged bribery and corruption in connection with his leadership of the National Olympic Committee and the world federation for taekwondo, South Korea's national martial art.

The IOC executive board suspended Kim pending the outcome of the investigation.


"All this issue about presumption of innocence is in my opinion absolutely maybe a system of defence of people around Mr. Kim, but it is not, absolutely not substantiated by the opinion of these people who are world leading authorities in judicial affairs and ethic and disciplinary affairs. On the second question, could this happen in the future? I don't know. Time will tell"


Kim finished second to Rogge in the IOC leadership election three years ago and is the highest-ranked official to be suspended from the world's most powerful sports organisation. He was given a severe warning by the IOC in 1999 after the bribery scandal over Salt Lake City's successful bid for the 2002 Winter Olympics.


An IOC panel said Kim has used his influence to help get his son, John Kim, a job funded by the Salt Lake City committee.


After his January 9 resignation Kim admitted to misconduct.


Bureau Report