It follows a meeting in Berlin yesterday between Jacques Rogge, the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and Larry Probst, the chairman of the USOC.

 

 

Both men are currently in the German capital attending the World Athletics Championships.

 

Probst said: "In order to facilitate a productive dialogue, the USOC has decided to delay further development of the network until we have resolved all issues of concern to the IOC."

 

The USOC's plans to launch the channel, announced last month, had upset senior IOC members at a delicate time when they were due to begin negotiations with the US networks over a new television to broadcast the 2014 and 2016 Olympics.

 

The USOC had gone ahead with their plans despite the IOC asking them to delay their decision.

 

It led to Richard Carrion, the head of the IOC's Finance Commission and one of the organisations's most influential members, calling the USOC "arrogant".

 

The row threatened to have a serious impact on Chicago's bid to follow London and host the 2016 Olympics and gave its rivals - Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo - a major weakness to exploit in the run-up to the IOC's decision.

 

The full membership is due to vote on who should host the 2016 Olympics at its Session in Copenhagen on October 2.

 

Probst said: “[Yesterday] IOC President Jacques Rogge and I met in Berlin to discuss a number of matters of importance to the Olympic Movement, but primarily the US Olympic Network.

 

"The meeting was productive and positive and was an opportunity for me to underscore the USOC's commitment to working together with him and the IOC.

 

"We recognised the necessity and importance of finding new ways to grow and develop the Olympic Movement, especially amongst youth.

 

"I took the opportunity to stress our commitment to being good partners with the IOC and assured President Rogge that we will secure the full support and cooperation of the IOC before we move forward with the Olympic Network.

 

"President Rogge and I agreed to meet again soon and to continue these constructive and mutually beneficial discussions."

 

Earlier this year the IOC and USOC had agreed to renegotiate a revenue-sharing arrangement that had also proven increasingly contentious.

The two-part structure, announced in March in Denver, called for the USOC first to contribute to certain Games-related costs at an “appropriate level,” that level to be determined in talks to be undertaken later this year.

 

The two sides further agreed to re-negotiate the shares the USOC, and only the USOC, gets from US television rights fees and the top-tier Olympic marketing programme, those negotiations to take place in 2013 with an eye toward the distribution of shares going forward after 2020.

 

At the time that had been seen as greatly helping Chicago's Olympic bid only for the gains made after that to be lost when the USOC announced plans for its television channel.

There was understandably a sense of relief among Chicago officials that a resolution has been reached in this latest crisis.

 

Patrick Rayn, the Chicago 2016 chairman and chief executive, said: "We applaud Larry Probst and the USOC for making a strong statement of partnership by stating that the USOC would secure the full support and cooperation of the IOC before moving forward with the Olympic Network.

 

"It is important not only for the USOC and IOC relationship, but also for the USOC's role within the Olympic Movement."