After the USOC last week formally and publically cleared Rick Demont and offered him some token of recognition for a poitive drug test that label him a drug cheat back in the 1972 Olympics, the IOC yesterday refuesed to recognize or re-open the case.

The issued was raised by Canadian IOC member Dick Pound but was not taken up for consideration by the IOC legal commission.

The IOC commission is apparently worried that setting a precedent could lead to dozens of other athletes raising similar questions stretching back many years.