The IOC (International Olympic Committee) has allowed Olympic athletes to blog about their experiences this summer in Beijing

Previous games, the IOC has set a ban on such blogging but this time round however, there will be some restrictions

In an official IOC statement, “The IOC considers blogging … as a legitimate form of personal expression and not a form of journalism. It is required that, when accredited persons at the Games post any Olympic content, it be confined solely to their own personal Olympic-related experience.”

When probed on the details of such restrictions, IOC explanation was

The IOC has set out guidelines for blogging at the Beijing Games to ensure copyright agreements are not infringed.

They include bans on posting any audio or visual material of action from the games themselves.

The move follows the increasing use of unofficial blogs by athletes in previous Games, including Athens in 2004 and the Turin Winter Games.

Blogs should not have exclusive agreements with any company and there should be no commercial reference or advertising either

Blogs should also adhere to the Olympic spirit “and be dignified and in good taste.

So in summary …

1. Olympic athletes will be allowed to blog.
2. Blog domains should not contain any word similar to Olympic or Olympics.
3. No audio, photo or video of Olympic or sports events.
4. Other photos are fine as long as they are not photographs of Olympic areas or sports activity.
5. Sports athletes need to get permission to take photographs of other athletes.
6. Blogs should be about the athlete’s personal experience.
7. Blogs should not contain advertising or have exclusive agreements with any company.
8. Athlete bloggers should be careful to avoid disclosing security information.
9. Blogs should be dignified and in good taste.

Here is a link to Team USA blogs, unfortunately none from athletics yet

The only Olympic athletics blogger I know is Sanya Richards