New Hockey Logo For 2010 Games?
02/11/2008 00:25
Team Canada may be forced to play without its familiar Maple Leaf logo at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, the victim of an International Olympic Committee rule that is only now being enforced.
The IOC regulation forbids sport federations from displaying their logos on uniforms at the Olympics, which includes Hockey Canada's trademark Maple Leaf with a hockey player. Hockey Canada says it has been able to get around the rule in the past by having the Canadian Olympic Committee sign an exemption from Games uniform regulations.
But the COC says times have changed. The IOC strictly enforced its rules at the recent Beijing Games - notably with the Brazilian and Argentine soccer teams - and is expected to do the same in Vancouver.
"In the past three Winter Games, this wasn't the same issue that it is now," said Chris Rudge, the COC's chief executive officer. "In those Games, the IOC turned a blind eye to its own rules. That's no longer the case - they made that very clear going into Beijing.
"It was a test case in Beijing with the soccer teams and it was very clear from the IOC that the rules now are the rules and they're not turning a blind eye to exemptions."
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Just when you thought the IOC rules and regulations couldn’t get any more ridiculous . . .