USAToday is reporting that for the most part nearly everyone associated with the Olympics has been barred from blogging about it.

“The International Olympic Committee is barring competitors, as well as coaches, support personnel and other officials, from writing firsthand accounts for news and other Web sites. An exception is if an athlete has a personal Web site that they did not set up specifically for the Games.” The IOC seems to feel big business has a higher priority than the publics need to know. “The IOC’s rationale for the restrictions is that athletes and their coaches should not serve as journalists — and that the interests of broadcast rightsholders and accredited media come first.” So it’s all about money? That would seem to be the case. “To protect lucrative broadcast contracts, athletes and other participants are also prohibited from posting any video, audio or still photos they take themselves, even after the games, unless they get permission ahead of time. (Photos taken by accredited journalists are allowed on the personal sites.)”
“This is unfathomable to me,” said Robert Bliwise, editor of Duke Magazine, Duke University’s alumni publication. “I don’t understand what the International Olympic Committee might be concerned about. It’s a way to engage a wide audience with reporting from the field and therefore generate excitement and interest in the games.”