IOC to Athletes at 2010 Winter Olympics: Tweet Away!

Athletes competing in the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, British Columbia, Feb. 12-28 can tweet to their hearts’ content, according to a tweet from the International Olympic Committee, sent Friday, CNET reported.

The tweet contained a link to the IOC’s four pages of rules covering bloggers, but was much more light-handed toward Twitterers, reading:

Athletes go ahead and Tweet as long as it is about your own personal experience at the Games. http://bit.ly/bc6PlO #olympics #twitter

U.S. Olympic Committee spokesman Bob Condron told CNET in an email interview:

(The move should let) both the athletes and the readers enjoy the Olympics at a new level. This might be the Twitter Olympics. It’ll be interesting to see where it all goes. Our brain waves are now operating in a 140-character mode.

U.S. skiing star and medal hopeful Lindsey Vonn, for one, was happy about the clarification, according to CNET.

Vonn had posted the following on her Facebook Page Thursday:

Hey everyone, because of the Olympic rules (blackout period) I will not be able to post any updates from now until March 3rd. Sorry, it bums me out too! Even though I won’t be able to write to you I can still get your messages so keep them coming!

Vonn’s update Friday:

Contrary to what I was told it turns out that I am allowed to continue to tweet and Facebook during the Olympics!! Yay!! I have to follow very specific rules though:( Did you guys really think you were going to get rid of me that easily?! I’m back baby!

Join Baratunde Thurston (left), The Onion’s Director of Digital and author of How to Be Black, for an entertaining look at creative social media campaigns in our Social Media Marketing Boot Camp starting February 16. Other speakers include Morin Oluwole (Facebook), Tim Devane (bitly), and SocialTimes' writer Devon Glenn.   Register now.