Generic, non-Olympic advertising by athletes during the Olympics will be allowed if an International Olympic Committee executive board proposal is approved in July.
The board proposed changes to Rule 40 and Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter, the IOC said Thursday.
“It has to do with advertising around the games, on a social media site, or newspaper, or whatever,” IOC spokesman Mark Adams said, according to The Associated Press. “So if someone has a contract with a watch manufacturer, that may continue as long as the advert doesn’t relate to the games.
“Athletes have wanted this changed for a very long time. It’s been a very long discussion.”
The Olympic Charter currently restricts that for about a month period around the Games:
Except as permitted by the IOC Executive Board, no competitor, coach, trainer or official who participates in the Olympic Games may allow his person, name, picture or sports performances to be used for advertising purposes during the Olympic Games.
The board also proposed a change to Rule 50 in the Olympic Charter, to increase the maximum size of a manufacturer’s identification “while respecting the clean field of play to prevent conspicuous advertising.”
