FINA urges IOC to stage swimming finals in evening at 2008 Games

FINA, swimming's world governing body, has renewed its call for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to stage evening swimming finals at the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing.

FINA chief executive Cornel Marculescu said his organization remained in favor of evening finals and hoped the IOC would comply with the format of world championship events.

American broadcaster NBC, which paid $3.55 billion for the exclusive broadcasting rights to the 2000-2008 Games, has requested to switch swimming and gymnastics finals to the morning in Beijing to ensure prime-time viewing in the United States.

"We have told them what is our preference which is finals in the evening as we will have at the world championships in Melbourne next March," Cornulescu told reporters in Melbourne at the draw for the event's water polo competition.

"The decision is with the IOC executive board," Marculescu said. "I have heard the IOC is consulting with the broadcasters on this but we don't know how it's going to be.

"The Olympic Games is not our product, we don't have a partner in the US television market."

The IOC is expected to decide on this matter at an executive board meeting in Kuwait in November.

The 12th FINA world championships are to be held at a drop-in pool at the Rod Laver Arena and other venues in Melbourne from Mar 17-Apr 1, 2007.

Source: Xinhua