The European Olympic Committee has honoured the man known as Europe’s last dictator, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, with an award “For Outstanding Contribution to the Olympic Movement”. Critics argue that sport is just one of his propaganda tools.

Betting agencies are calling for a new organisation much like the World Anti-Doping Agency, to be established so that governments and sports federations can cooperate across borders to investigate betting irregularities and put an end to match fixing.

An organisation’s choice of sponsors affects its chances to cooperate with the IOC.

Former Olympic medallist Wilson Kipketer calls for changes to voting procedures for election to the IOC Athletes' Commission. An election he feels has been subject to inappropriate and unfair procedures.

Nearly a year after the initial incident, the Danish women’s national football team are still waiting to find out who it was that spied on them in a Chinese hotel room at the 2007 Women’s World Cup. Despite protests by the Danish players, FIFA are refusing to investigate claiming the incident is not a sporting matter, while the IOC cites a lack of jurisdiction prevents its Ethics Commission from probing further.

As one of the consequences of the Cold War from the end of World War II and up to 1989, the competition on the battlefield of sport became fiercer and fiercer, and at some point rumours started circulating in the west about female athletes, mainly from the eastern countries, who were not THAT female. Stories were told about specific athletes who never undressed together with other athletes, but came directly from their hotel, and went straight back for a shower, and of athletes who had a number of male features as for example a fast growing beard.

The International Olympic Committee does not want to get involved with the general human rights situation in China. But now, human rights organisations try to engage the IOC in alleviating human rights problems that are a direct consequence of China’s preparations for the Games or occur in the name of the Olympics.

Intense criticism has surrounded China’s planned route for the Olympic Torch relay prior to Beijing 2008. Human rights groups have also slammed China’s human rights record, their voices joined by US politicians who oppose China’s alleged sale of arms to Sudan.