regarding Olympics stuff. Any of you ever been to your national Olympic meetings? hmmmmm, just as with CMAS stuff, you have never seen, likely you've not seen Olympics up close and personal. When USOA was first voted in to USOC, I attended meetings; now my fed secretary, who is our fin swimming director, attends. (I do CMAS; he does USOC) Used to be annual big USOC meeting; now quarterly Board meetings only.

Federations such as mine or yours do not belong to IOC - Internat Olympic Committee. They belong to their NOC - national olympic committete - in my case, USOC. International Federations belong to IOC.

In each country there are differences I am sure whether it is funding, membership, titles, meetings, etc.

In US, in 1976, our Congress gave all control of amateur athletics to USOC - stopping a battle between USOC and AAU (amature athletic union). The NGBs - national governing bodies - for Olympic/Pan Am Sports now control the moneys. Not an olympic/pan am sport, no money. Between 1984 and Salt Lake Winter Olympics, there was some funding available for acknowleged non olympic/pan am sports - ie fin swimming - but that is now gone.

After the scandal at Salt Lake, USOC changed tremendously - Congress threatened to recind the authority! got their attention you bet!

The NGBs guard their status and funds closely. None of the uw sports are on the IOC radar except fin swimming, and it is only a blip. President IOC has said NO new summer sports. Best way now to get in is to be part of an accepted NGB (ie FINA, world swimming); then the NGB can try to add the discipline.

Exhibition sports were discontinued after Barcelona. Used to be each Olympic host could add 2 sports of their choice - no longer. Not allowed.

And as I said, I believe requirements for new sport just to be considered is 75 countries at WC.

CMAS, I believe, gets a small amount of money from IOC which it is supposed to use for fin swimming; but that may be gone with changes.

If you want to know more about how Olympics work, go to their web site and read their bylaws and stuff.

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Carol Rose