More of the politics of Olympics

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators is calling for an Olympic truce in Darfur, Sudan, during the Beijing Games.

The Senate resolution introduced Thursday urges China to pressure Sudan, one of its trading partners, to stop violence that has claimed at least 200,000 lives and displaced more than 2 million people.

“The Chinese government hoped to show the world a new China with the Olympics, but instead the spotlight will be on their same old policies that disregard the rights of human beings,” said Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), one of the resolution’s sponsors.

The resolution was welcomed by Team Darfur, a group of athletes that is urging Sudan and China to observe the truce, a tradition that dates to the ancient Olympics.

“With the U.S. behind the Olympic truce, we hope that more countries will join in the efforts to give the people of Darfur a chance at lasting peace,” said 2006 speedskating gold medalist Joey Cheek, co-founder of Team Darfur.

Meanwhile, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley is heading to Beijing to check out Olympics preparations, including the city's public transportation. He'll look for ideas that could help the Windy City refine its bid for the 2016 Summer Games.

Beijing is the only Games during which Chicago officials can see how the Olympics work before the International Olympic Committee decides whether Chicago, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro or Tokyo gets the 2016 Summer Games. A decision is due next year.

-- Greg Johnson

Photo: Speedskater Joey Cheek, co-founder and president of Team Darfur, appeared in a Washington, D.C., news conference July 1. Credit: Susan Walsh /Associated Press

Onward and upward for Chicago 2016

Chicago’s 2016 Summer Olympic bid has avoided a potential problem with the U.S. Senate’s ratification of the UNESCO International Convention against Doping in Sport.

The International Olympic Committee has made a country’s ratification of the 2005 convention a pre-condition to having an Olympic Games host city.

The national governments of Chicago’s three rivals in the 2016 contest -- Tokyo, Madrid and Rio de Janeiro -- already had ratified the convention.

"This was a significant hurdle that coordinated work by the U.S. Olympic Committee, the government and our partners in Chicago helped overcome," said Bob Ctvrtlik, the USOC vice-president for international relations.

The Senate action, reported in Monday’s Congressional Record, also included a section indicating that its ratification includes the "understanding of the United States of America that nothing in this Convention obligates the United States to provide funding to the World Anti-Doping Agency."

That section likely was included to prevent WADA members from asking the United States to pay an unreasonably large amount toward the WADA budget.

The U.S. agreed in 2004 to underwrite 50% of the Americas’ share of WADA funding and has paid $1.7 million for 2008.  According to the WADA website, Japan has paid $1.5 million (the second-largest contribution in the world) and Spain, $379,000. Brazil has yet to pay its 2008 contribution of $143,000.

"We are pleased the U.S. Senate recognizes the importance of UNESCO’s anti-doping treaty and shares in this common goal to support the integrity and spirit of the Olympic Games," said Patrick G. Ryan, chairman and chief executive of Chicago 2016. "As a bid we are committed to clean competition and applaud the efforts of the U.S. Senate, in particular our own Illinois senator, Richard Durbin."

-- Philip Hersh

Photo: Chicago Mayor Richard Daley on June 4, after his city was named as a candidate to host the 2016 Olympic Games. Credit: Milos Bicanski / Getty Images