Wired athletes set for 'Twitter Olympics'

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 6 (UPI) -- The 2010 Winter Olympics will be the "Twitter Olympics" among athletes in Vancouver, though some find rules about social networking confusing, an official says.

American skier Lindsey Vonn told her Twitter followers she would not be posting until after the Games ended because of Olympic rules, Wired magazine reported Friday.

But there is no Olympic rule against such postings, said Bob Condron, a spokesman for the U.S. Olympic Committee.

"Athletes are free to blog during the Games," says Condron. "And Twitter is just a blog that's written 140 characters at a time."

The athletes face some restrictions. For example, they can blog only about their personal experiences.

"You can't act as a journalist if you aren't," Condron said. "You need to do things in a first-person way."

Also banned are mentions of athletes' sponsors or advertisers that aren't official Olympic partners, Condron said.

He said he expects heavy social media use among U.S. athletes.

"These are going to be the 'Twitter Olympics,'" Condron said. "There's no telling where the updates will come from. It could be the bench during a hockey game, or even on the medal stand."