IOC Endorses a Rule Change That Would Open Door to Pros

The International Olympic Committee has endorsed a proposed rule change that could open the Games to professional athletes in hockey, soccer and tennis, IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch said Wednesday.

The revision of the Olympic Charter, if it passes, would eliminate the distinction in those sports between amateur and professional athletes. But individual international sports federations still would decide if the pros could compete in the Games.

Some professional tennis players, based on age, were allowed to participate in the 1984 Olympics at Los Angeles, where tennis was a demonstration sport.

The Charter change will be submitted to the 91-nation IOC General Assembly’s next meeting in October.

Samaranch said the change would encourage participation of high-level athletes and “give all athletes equal opportunity” to compete.

“For us, a professional is the same as a state athlete,” Samaranch said. State athletes is a designation usually applied to Soviet bloc athletes who are generally subsidized by their governments.

His comments were made at a news conference after a three-day meeting of the IOC Executive Board which took up the proposal drafted by a commission headed by Willi Daume, head of the West German national committee.