BEIJING - IOC president Jacques Rogge said Thursday the turmoil surrounding the Beijing torch relay and the politically charged buildup to the Summer Games posed a "crisis'' for the Olympic movement. Rogge urged China to respect its "moral engagement'' to improve human rights and to fulfill promises of greater media freedom. He reaffirmed the right of free speech for athletes at the Beijing Games.

At the same time, the International Olympic Committee expressed relief that the San Francisco leg of the torch relay passed off without major incident and declared that the rest of the international route would not be cut short or canceled.

"This scenario is definitely not on the agenda,'' Rogge said at a news conference. "We are studying together with (Beijing organizers) to improve the torch relay, but there is no scenario of either interrupting or bringing (the torch) back directly to Beijing.''

‘Not the joyous party’

Rogge said the San Francisco relay had "fortunately'' avoided much of the turmoil and disruptions that had marred the legs in London and Paris.
"It was, however, not the joyous party that we had wished it to be,'' he said at the opening of a two-day IOC executive board meeting in Beijing. "Athletes in many countries are in disarray and we need to reassure them. Our major responsibility is to offer them the games they deserve. ... We have 120 days to achieve this.''

The San Francisco parade route was changed and shortened to prevent disruptions by massive crowds of anti-China protesters. The planned closing ceremony at the waterfront was canceled and moved to San Francisco International Airport, where the flame was put directly on a plane and not displayed.
Still, IOC officials were grateful that there had been no violence.

"I'm very, very happy because there was no injuries,'' IOC executive board member Gerhard Heiberg of Norway said. "We were afraid of that. That didn't happen, so this was a very good result.''

SOURCE: Associated Press

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