The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has approved a plan to allow athletes to open personal blogs about the Olympics for the first time during next year's Beijing Games.

The committee is still discussing details about the blog plan, a committee spokesman said, Beijing News reported today.

The committee is interested in the blog idea and hopes it can add a new dimension to the athletes and the Olympics, the spokesman said in an e-mail interview, the report said.

The Olympic Charter does not allow athletes, coaches or officials to report on the Games to protect the reporting rights of the media, according to the report.

The Beijing Olympics run from August 8 to August 24.

(Shanghai Daily December 18, 2007)