LAUSANNE, Switzerland — The International Olympic Committee agreed Tuesday to allow Iraq to participate in the Beijing Games, reversing itself after Baghdad pledged to ensure the independence of its national Olympics panel.
The decision followed last-minute talks between Iraqi officials and the IOC ahead of today’s deadline to submit competitors’ names for track and field events. The Olympics begin Aug. 8.
Iraq is expected to send two athletes to Beijing to compete in track and field. The decision came too late for five other hopefuls in archery, judo, rowing and weightlifting. The deadline to submit names for those sports expired last week.
Hamm cleared.
Morgan Hamm received clearance from the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) to compete in Beijing.
FIG said it would not appeal the ruling by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) that Hamm deserved only a warning and not a suspension after testing positive for a prohibited substance May 24 during the national championships.
“It’s been a long process and now I can concentrate on my gymnastics, compete with my team and hopefully bring back a medal for the USA,” Hamm said.
The U.S. men leave for China today.
Isinbayeva sets pole vault record
MONTE CARLO, Monaco — Asafa Powell ran his fastest 100 meters of the season and Russian Yelena Isinbayeva broke her own record in the women’s pole vault to highlight the Herculis Super Grand Prix meet.
Isinbayeva cleared 16 feet, 6 1/2 inches, succeeding on her third and final attempt to break the mark she set this month by half an inch.
Powell had no help from the wind on a humid night, winning in 9.82 seconds — six-hundredths faster than he ran in Sweden a week ago.
Footnotes.
Marathon world-record holder Paula Radcliffe will join the British Olympic team this weekend in a bid to recover from a thigh injury in time to compete in the race at Beijing on Aug. 17.
• Yao Ming scored 21 points in 28 minutes to lead China past Angola 83-74, another step in the Houston Rockets center’s return from injury with less than two weeks until the Olympics.
• Four-time Olympian Karen O’Connor will replace Heidi White on the U.S. Olympic equestrian team in eventing. White withdrew her mount Northern Spy for veterinary reasons.
Denver Post wire services
