AOC President John Coates and Craig Reedie of Great Britain will participate in their first IOC Executive Board meeting Wednesday following their election to the ruling body at the IOC Session in Copenhagen.

One of the key decisions will be the redistribution of Olympic medals stripped from disgraced U.S. sprinter Marion Jones in 2007 following her involvement in a doping scandal.

She served a 16-month prison sentence for lying to U.S. investigators about her drug use during the Sydney Olympics.

The 100m gold medal once held by Jones is not expected to be reallocated to runner-up Katerina Thanou because the Greek sprinter was at the centre of another drug scandal at the 2004 Athens Olympics. But the IOC is set to redistribute the gold and bronze Jones won in the 200m and long jump as well as the medals for the women’s 4x400m relay.

The EB will also rubberstamp changes to the London 2012 Olympic program at the Dec. 9 to 10 meeting in Lausanne.

In August, IOC president Jacques Rogge said that most of the 33 applications from 17 International Federations proposing changes for London 2012 had been “politely declined”, mainly because it would have taken the number of athletes well above the IOC’s 10,500 limit.

Women’s boxing, canoe sprint and a new combined run-shoot format for modern pentathlon were agreed at the last EB. But several sports are still waiting to hear if their wishes have been granted.

The IOC executive will decide on the inclusion of mixed doubles in tennis and new events and/ or larger quotas of athletes proposed by wrestling, swimming and cycling.

Rogge has said there will be a sympathetic hearing for new events that increase the participation of women at the Games as long as they replace events already on the program to ensure the total number of athletes is maintained.

Wrestling wants 63 more women to compete at London 2012. The International Swimming Federation's requests include, the men's 800m free and the women's 1500m free (42 total events); add four teams to women's water polo (changing total to 12); add four teams to synchronized swimming (changing total to 12); add free combination to synchronized swimming. It appears unlikely FINA will swap the women's 1,500m for the women's 800m.

Britain’s elite cyclists are waiting to hear if the IOC sanctions proposals submitted by the International Cycling Union.

Victoria Pendleton wants to follow Chris Hoy’s lead by winning three gold medals at an Olympics. If the IOC decides to ratify the UCI’s plan for a fairer distribution of medals for men and women in 2012, Pendleton would have a shot at the sprint, keirin and team sprint golds.

But Britain’s Bradley Wiggins and Rebecca Romero would miss out on defending their individual pursuit titles.

Over the next two days the EB will hear reports from IOC commissions and directors, as well as updates on preparations for Olympics in Vancouver, London, Sochi and Rio. Organisers of the Singapore 2010 Summer Youth Olympics and the winter edition in Innsbruck in 2012 will also update members.

Mark Bisson
Around The Rings