A group of U.S. athletes is using Twitter to protest an Olympic rule preventing them from appearing in advertisements for anyone except official Olympic sponsors during the London Games.
Athletes are using the social networking site to call for the restrictions to be relaxed.
They are tweeting the message: "I am proud to be an Olympian but #wedemandchange #rule 40."
Rule 40 of the Olympic Charter protects the 11 international companies that have paid about $100 million each for four years of global rights to sponsor the Olympics. Those firms include Visa, McDonald's, and Coca-Cola.
The restriction means athletes are cut off from some of their own sponsors just when they are enjoying maximum exposure.
Athletes risk disqualification if they break the rule.
Athletes are using the social networking site to call for the restrictions to be relaxed.
They are tweeting the message: "I am proud to be an Olympian but #wedemandchange #rule 40."
Rule 40 of the Olympic Charter protects the 11 international companies that have paid about $100 million each for four years of global rights to sponsor the Olympics. Those firms include Visa, McDonald's, and Coca-Cola.
The restriction means athletes are cut off from some of their own sponsors just when they are enjoying maximum exposure.
Athletes risk disqualification if they break the rule.
