More women sand volleyball controversy....

DjaugheOld · August 19th, 2004, 09:36 AM

And we thought the mens basketball team had probelems....

IOC reacts to the birth control patches Susanne Glesnes and Kathrine Maaseide have been using during the Olympics. Now the beach volleyball duo has to manage without.
It was revealed Monday that Glesnes and Maaseide are sponsored by the producer of the birth control patch. The women had placed their patches very visible on their shoulders, and it has been noted.

After being informed of the issue, Gerhard Heiberg, board member in the IOC, reacted because according to the rules in the Olympics, it is illegal to advertise for products during the Olympics games.

"This is a problem in both sand volleyball and in volleyball, and we have to stop it" Heiberg said to ANB. "There is a strict ban on this."

Glesnes and Maaseide decided to remove the patches after having heard Heiberg’s reaction.

We have removed them, and we do not wish to comment the case further,» Masseide said.

Jarle Aambø, acting top Norwegian athletic leader, said that he thinks the case has been over dramatized and claims that it should be okay to use the birth control patch.

We have checked this and established that the birth control patch is considered a personal item and therefore perfectly legal, Aambø said.