IOC mulls changes in cycling, tennis

LAUSANNE, Switzerland – Elimination of endurance events in track cycling and inclusion of mixed doubles in tennis are up for consideration this week by the International Olympic Committee.

At a two-day meeting starting Wednesday, the IOC executive board will make final rulings on requests by sports federations for the addition or removal of disciplines and events for the 2012 London Games.

Most contentious are the proposed changes in cycling, notably the dropping of the individual pursuit race.

The sports proposals are among the top items for a meeting that will also see the IOC reallocate two of the three individual medals stripped from Marion Jones for doping at the 2000 Sydney Games but withhold the 100-meter gold from disgraced Greek sprinter Katerina Thanou.

Jones’ 200 gold is set to go to Pauline Davis-Thompson of the Bahamas, and her long jump bronze to Russia’s Tatyana Kotova. But the 100 prize will not be awarded to Thanou because of her missed drug tests on the eve of the 2004 Athens Games, officials with direct knowledge of the plans told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because the decision hasn’t been announced yet. (AP)