Sixth IOC/BOCOG press conference

Xinhua News Agency

My question is for Giselle. Yesterday one of the foreign athletes complained about the pre competition tests were carried out too frequently and too early. So the Chinese athletes will receive host advantage in this regards. So when IOC was planning for the schedules of doping testing, who was the decision maker? Are the Chinese athletes advantaged in this regards?

Giselle Davies

The doping work is done by IOC and those that we entrusted to do it in order to ensure the athletes are playing by the rules. So when they lined up side by side, all the procedures, processes, rules and way of testing is done, you can find all the details. They are available for you as well as the athletes. You can find it on the website, they are communicated to the athletes through the national Olympic committee so it's clear for everyone. These are tested first and foremost for the athletes so that they know that the IOC means business and wants clean Games.

ABC

How was it that a British journalist was detained and assaulted yesterday on the Olympic venue? He had an Olympic accreditation from both BOCOG and IOC?

Wang Wei

According to my information, I think when the British journalists show the accreditation, he was released. In the future, I think there will be more communication between the police and the journalists so that they can understand each other and have a better cooperation. Thank you.

Giselle Davies

Our position is very clean and the media should be allowed to do the job reporting on the Games. Just for small point of clarification, he was accredited by the city authorities not an Olympic accredited journalist. But nonetheless the IOC does disapprove of any attempts to hinder the journalists who is going about to do his job within the rules and the regulations. As Mr. Wang Wei has explained, this we hope has been addressed and we hope this don't happen again.

ABC

From the bus and the bus went away, he did carry his accreditation before hand. But he was taken away.

Giselle Davies

As I said, it's day 6 of the Games, day 5 of the Games has occurred. We don't want to see it happen again.

Guardian

I would like to follow up on that point, I'm from the Guardian. A photographer is accredited for the Games here. You may tell from his name that he is of Asian origin, was assaulted by the police and his camera was broken. Can you explain why that is, please Giselle, and Mr. Wang if you can? To Mr. Wang, I would like to thank you for your quotable speech but also as you are the minister coach, I would like to ask you about a 'Youtube' video that has been taken down over a copy rights infringement, apparently. Could you explain that?

Giselle Davies

Thank you for your question. Not aware of the case that you mentioned. Happy to get the facts about it with John. We spoke to John yesterday. If there was another incident, whoever was involved with it, your cameraman, yes, we would like to base it on facts and to get the facts from the persons involved. We are more than happy to speak to him as we did with John Reyes today.

I can't explain since I don't know about this case. I'm very clear about the IOC position in terms media should be allowed to do their job and we disapprove their work being hindered when they do not adhere to be breaching the rules. I can't be clearer than that.

Wang Wei

I have not heard this piece of information so I don't have any comment. Again I would like to provide good service to the media.

Ruan Lanyu

As for the tape video, I don't know anything about this, let me get the information and come back to you then.

Reporter from Japan

My question is about the interview during the competition. Yesterday there was a judo event. After the competition, one of the journalists asked about the Georgian and Russian issues because during the judo event, the Georgian won the gold but the bilateral relations between the two countries are deteriorating at the same time. The journalists asked about the bilateral relations between Russia and Georgia. But the anchor person rejected this question. How is he authorized to reject a question from the media because the media was free to ask questions?

Wang Wei

Well, from my understanding of the rule 51.3 of the Olympic Charter, within the Olympic venues and relevant areas, there is no promotion of political and religious agenda so I understand why the emcee will not encourage the question like Russia and Georgia to happen because it starts another debate. It will not end up happily and will affect the Olympic spirit here. Thank you

Washington Post

I'm looking for specifics on the air quality analysis that's going on a daily basis. What ratings, and if you can answer this specifically as much as possible, what reading are the IOC reading as its daily analysis, are they coming from the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau or another source, if another source are all these public. What are the specific levels of the pollutants when you deal with this analysis considering the accessibility for an event to be cancelled, moved and postponed? What is the specific mechanism that these data are analyzed and reviewed, who looks at it and make the call. Finally, how do things work to this point? Thank you.

Giselle Davies

Thanks for your question. The data come from the Beijing Environment Protection Bureau which has 27 stations around the city. They measure a number of different readings. I'm not an expert but I remember it including ozone which was not included prior but was then added through the collaborative work between the IOC and the bureau and a number of the readings. We also look at heat and humidity because it is a question of air quality and its totality and the particulate matter plus the heat and humidity analysis. We have that information on the 72 hour forward looking basis in order to be able to take a judgment in that degree of time. We are looking for immediate 24 hours and the 72 hour gives us a good basis for decision making. We brought Professional Lucas to give us a more detailed briefing on this, a week or so ago. I think it was probably before you were here. Happy to try to connect to you if we can to go into some of the finer details. But basically, the great looks of the information daily and to date, we are comfortable that we don't have any concern at all in terms of the air quality. They have been there a need to activate further study or decision because they have always been within the guidelines set.

CCTV

You have mentioned yesterday that the Togo athletes got the bronze medals on kayak. Are there any athletes who took part in this game besides the Togo athletes?

Giselle Davies

Thanks for your question about our Olympic solidarity athletes. Yes, there are a number of them. I would be delighted to give you the information. I have not got the list here. We have been running some stories about the Olympic solidarity athletes. You can find them on our website and the team you can follow up so you can highlight any of them there in particular interest for your column stories.

BBC

This is a question for Wang Wei. It's about the protest park again. I know that you have given us your thoughts already but it was a BOCOG official who announced that these protest parks will be set up and its going to take place during the Olympic period. So it is a legitimate question for us to ask instead of passing us to the Beijing Security Bureau. This is a question for Wang Wei. As a Chinese official, what do you feel when I tell you that nobody so far has been allowed to protest and no Chinese person has been allowed to express their opinions? What does it make you feel as a Chinese person?

Wang Wei

I think for Mr. Liu, who was here yesterday, director of the security of BOCOG, he announced the three parks. You are right. But he has no authority on the extra administration of the parks. On behalf of that, he announced that but he has no information neither have I have the information. So once we have this information, we will relate it to the media that's no problem. As a Chinese official, the three parks opened are based on the constitution on China that people are allowed to demonstrate if they have some issues and if they want to demonstrate. They have to apply first and the application needs to be approved. I think that is one step further for China to open up. I think this is a very good gesture. With regard to nobody have been approved to demonstrate, I think this is not a BOCOG issue but of department authorities. I think in due time they can explain.

BBC

The Chinese people long have the constitutional rights to vote, that's not the step to demonstrate to step forward. The step forward surely would be to allow a demonstration to take place but none has taken place. How does that make you feel as an official? Do you think China will step forward even none will be allowed?

Wang Wei

Yes. I think China has been stepping forward. If you asked an ordinary Chinese on the streets, I think they will give you the same answer. I think you can not underestimate the wisdom of the Chinese people. You can't say you are the smartest. So if you come over here, you can be critical. It's alright. But you have to believe the majority of the people. Otherwise I think you are quite misled in a way. Thank you.

Beijing Daily

This morning I saw Mr. Rogge in the MPC. I would like to confirm was he here or did I make a mistake? Or if he is at MPC, what does he come for? Does he have any comment on the function of the MPC?

Giselle Davies

He did it toward the MPC-Main Press Center this morning. He visited the broadcast center or IBC yesterday or the day before yesterday. He always comes to visit all the venues, the working facilities here, as well as the sport venues. He had a couple of rendezvous when he was here. Yesterday, it was indeed him that you saw. IOC, in terms of the overall perspective on this Main Press Center, it welcomes the media in a spectacular ways. The facilities are absolutely first class.

Sun Weide

We have come to the end of the press conference. Thank you very much.