There have been continuous calls for them to be banned from London 2012 since the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee (SAOC) refused to bow to pressure to select women athletes for their Olympic team.

It was thought there was a still chance that Saudi Arabia's top female athletes might compete at London 2012 under the IOC banner, but Rogge has completely dismissed the idea, insisting that they are still working to solve the issue.

"There is absolutely no need to consider the possibility of the participation of Saudi women under the IOC Flag," said the IOC President here at the Sport Accord Convention.

"It's not an easy situation but there is a commitment.

"We are continuing to discuss the issue with them and we are hoping to find a resolution."

SAOC President Prince Nawaf bin Faisal has continually reiterated that his National Olympic Committee "are not endorsing any Saudi female participation at the moment in the Olympics or other international championships" in a move that has frustrated the IOC.

But despite discussing the issue at length in their Executive Board meetings here this week, Rogge refused to discuss banning Saudi Arabia from the Olympics at this stage.


"I don't want to get into hypothetical questions," he said.

"We must wait and see.

"The athletes are trying [to qualify] for the Olympics and we would hope they will qualify in due time for the Games."

But the announcement from Rogge that female athletes will not compete under the Olympic Flag at the Games increases the prospect of a ban as the IOC Charter prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender.

There had been high hopes that show jumper Dalma Malhas (pictured above), 18, would be picked for London 2012.

Malhas won a bronze medal at the 2010 Singapore Youth Olympics without having been nominated by her country, following an invitation from the IOC.

Saudi Arabia have face major criticism from high profile organisations including the New York-based Human Rights Watch, who published a report earlier this year damning the systematic exclusion of women from sporting activities in Saudi Arabia.

In July last year, the chair of the IOC's Women and Sport Committee, Anita DeFrantz, criticised Saudi Arabia, as well as Qatar and Brunei, for being the last three countries to have never sent female athletes to the Olympics.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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