IOC mulls fireworks ban
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It may be more nip and tuck than a complete facelift, but the Olympics could have a new look in the future if a series of proposals are approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
The popular and ever-more spectacular firework displays that have become one of the traditional highlights of the opening and closing ceremonies could be on their way out because of concerns about their environmental impact.
Female athletes could finally be allowed to compete in ski jumping, the only event on the Olympic program that remains strictly men only, bringing an end to the long battle for gender equity on Olympic sporting fields.
That decision could be made as early as Oct 25 when the IOC's executive board discusses the program for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics on the second day of a meeting in Acapulco following an earlier National Olympic Committee gathering.
It was at the first meeting that the proposal to ban fireworks and replace them with laser shows was put forward by the Sri Lankan National Olympic Committee president Hemasiri Fernando because of concerns that the explosives shower the ground and waterways below with polluting toxins.
"We all have the responsibility to protect this earth and the fireworks have a tremendous effect on the environment," Fernando said.
The traditional release of white doves at ceremonies was abandoned after the 1988 Seoul Olympics, when they flew too close to the cauldron and were roasted alive.
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