The International Olympic Committee (IOC) executive board proposed on Thursday to modify its Rule 40 provision, which forbids athletes from participating in advertising for their sponsors during the games unless those sponsors are Olympic commercial partners. Under the proposal, the IOC would allow 鈥済eneric鈥 or 鈥渘on-Olympic鈥 advertising during the games, .
As it stands now, the , 鈥淓xcept 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.鈥 Any athletes who use their names or likenesses to promote their own sponsor during the Olympics could be disqualified or have their medals stripped, .
The proposal is scheduled to be formally approved by the full IOC in July. Under the rule change, athletes would be able to promote a sponsor not affiliated with the games鈥攁s long as the advertisement doesn鈥檛 mention the Olympics. 鈥淚t has to do with advertising around the games, on a social media site, or newspaper, or whatever,鈥 IOC spokesman Mark Adams told the AP. 鈥淪o if someone has a contract with a watch manufacturer, that may continue as long as the advert doesn鈥檛 relate to the games.鈥
Many athletes have protested Rule 40 in the past. Some launched a Twitter campaign during the London 2012 games under the hashtag #WeDemandChange2012. 鈥淎thletes have wanted this change for a very long time,鈥 Adams added to the AP. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a very long discussion.鈥