Dr Jacques Rogge must have been a skilled surgeon before he decided to lay down the scalpel and pick up the staff of power. He certainly knows how to clinically cut out errant questions from unprepared journalists hoping to catch the International Olympic Committee president off-guard. Witness the case of the intrepid journalist from Guadalajara, who was cut down to size, quite politely of course, by the Belgian doctor at the press conference to mark the end of the IOC's executive board meeting. The reporter asked Rogge what he thought about Fifa boss Sepp Blatter's refusal to sign Wada's (World Anti-Doping Agency) code which all international federations taking part in the Olympics have to comply with, and his threat to take football out of the Olympics. 'I'm amazed, sir, at the question. I was there in Paris on May 20 when Fifa signed the code and agreed to all the requirements of the anti-doping agency,' said Rogge. Then it was the turn of the smart Australian journalist who asked why there were a lack of tourists in town, during what is normally the peak season for visitors. She was also smoothly sidetracked by Rogge. 'I expect more people to come in the next few days. Europe is a small continent and Greece is only two hours away from most countries. It is not like Australia where you have to travel one day to get there,' said Rogge, fencing with the journalist from Down Under. Undoubtedly, Rogge is a master at the game. Or he has been coached well by his media advisers. Smooth and suave, Rogge easily handled the world's press corps - more than 200 of whom were crowded in at the downtown Dawani Caravel Hotel where the IOC members were meeting. But beneath all this geniality, Rogge is tough as nails. He needs this quality as he tries to imbue the IOC with a new sense of accountability. His immediate action on suspending four IOC members - among them Bulgaria's Ivan Slavkov and Muttaleb Ahmed, director general of the Olympic Council of Asia - following allegations of corruption in a BBC television documentary touching on the bid process for the 2012 Games, is proof of the pudding. 'Under my leadership I can stress there is zero tolerance for unethical behaviour in the IOC. I am an angry man because some people are not playing by the rules. To say I am disappointed is not enough,' said Rogge. He took about a dozen questions from the floor. A Chinese journalist asked if he was concerned that work had been suspended on the 'bird's nest' Olympic Stadium for the 2008 Games. Rogge was unconcerned. He gave Bocog - the Beijing Games organising committee - a pass mark. 'I'm very pleased with the report from Bocog. There is no cause for concern on venues or any infrastructure,' said Rogge. This will be sweet music for Chinese officials who halted work on the Beijing showpiece facility after calls for prudent measures to be taken and stem rising costs. The man can dissect a question superbly and answer to the point. On the matter of the ever-increasing Olympic security budgets - Greece has spent close to US$1.2 billion, which is three times more than Sydney - Rogge had a simple answer. He said a substantial sum had been spent in providing Greece with security infrastructure the country never had. 'A large part of this money went on getting a secure telecommunication system for Greece. This won't disappear at the end of the Games on August 29.' Since Munich 1972, Rogge said, security had been the number-one priority of the IOC. 'The IOC has not awakened to the problem of security after 9/11. Sure the world has entered a new era, but the procedures of security carried out by host countries has not drastically changed.' My raised hand, among a dozen others, was never acknowledged by Rogge's sidekick, a lady, who seemed to be intent on getting Rogge out of the firing line. We will never know why he chose to stay the duration of the Games at the athletes' village and forsake five-star comfort. Was it a matter of leading by example and showing Olympic frugality, or did he prefer the company of athletes to fellow IOC members? We will never know. Just as well. Maybe he might have cut me down too.