Smooth Dr Rogge cuts unprepared journalists down to size

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.