An Australian member of the International Olympic Committee, severely reprimanded for taking free holidays in Salt Lake City, has backed a possible permanent ban on IOC visits to cities bidding to host Games.
But Phil Coles said he was not sure all candidate cities would welcome the proposal from the IOC's reform commission which envisages either a total ban or limited visits.
"On the surface it would seem to me the safest and cleanest way would be to stay away from the candidate cities unless some other voting procedure was taken, I really don't know the answer to it," Coles said.
"I can understand people wanting a total ban, that is probably the safest thing to happen for everyone concerned."
TENNIS: Ireland's US-based team captain Peter Wright has welcomed the news that Scott Barron is currently injury free and fighting fit to be included in the Irish team for the European Team Championships in Istanbul on December 3rd-5th. Barron (24) has spent much of his career on the sidelines with injury. With John Doran and Owen Casey named ahead of Barron, the plan is likely to be to reserve the Dubliner for doubles duty in the team championships. Slovenia, Austria and Turkey are included along with Ireland in the first division. Kelly Liggan leads Ireland's team to compete in the women's European Team Championship in Portugal on November 26th-28th. She links up in Portugal with Yvonne Doyle, Karen Nugent and Gina Niland.
Ireland are in the same group as Portugal, Romania, Latvia, Holland and Malta.
MOUNTAIN BIKING: Robin Seymour enhanced his chances of inclusion in the Olympic mountain bike race at Sydney next September when he finished second in the penultimate qualifying event in Louisiana on Sunday.
The Piney Hills Classic, held over three 10-mile laps at Baton Rouge, was won by local expert Jason Sager. At the finish he was almost three minutes clear of Seymour. Seymour is 58th in the world rankings which puts Ireland 20th out of 22 nations taking part in the Olympic event.
