China is the new sports superpower: Rogge

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's dominance at the Beijing Olympics reflects the changing geopolitical state of the world and it is hard to see them being displaced from the top of the sporting order, IOC chief Jacques Rogge said on Thursday.

"I think they are getting there, to the top," the International Olympic Committee president told international news agencies in an interview. "It will be extremely difficult to change that."

Until Thursday morning China had won 45 gold medals with the United States in second place with 27 golds.

"They might end up between 50-60 (golds). I am not surprised," Rogge said.

He said China's Olympic success was mainly due to the resources pumped into sports to showcase the country's modern image.

Twenty years ago in Seoul, China picked up five golds and sat outside the top 10 gold medal winning countries. Beijing has since invested heavily in selecting and training their athletes, an effort that mirrors the nation's growing global economic and political clout.

"The world has to learn to live with a change of geopolitical nature," he said. "It (China's sporting success) will last as long as their sports system lasts," Rogge said.

He said Britain's best Games performance in a century, with 17 golds so far, bodes well for the London 2012 Olympics.

"What pleases me is that Great Britain is ready," he said. "They have a generation that is ready for 2012."

Rogge, who was long criticized for the IOC's decision to award the Games to Beijing, said so far, three days before the Games end, they were a success.

"The IOC is very happy with the organization of the Games," he said. There are still three days left. I am a very careful man and I can only rejoice at the moment of the closing ceremony."

"SPLEDIND ISOLATION"

"We were not naive nor blind," he said of the protests over China's human rights record and its foreign policies.

"We knew there would be criticism," he said, adding the Games had done their share to change China and open it to the world.

"The Chinese definitely have experienced that they cannot live in splendid isolation," he said.

Rogge said the IOC's fight against doping was also gaining ground with only five positive tests so far, after extensive pre-Games testing, an increase in Games doping controls and tougher Olympic sentences for offenders.

"It has had a deterrent effect," he said, adding possible offenders had been "scared and frightened".

Rogge also urged politicians to solve a dispute between Russia and Georgia after a five-day armed conflict earlier this month over the autonomous region of South Ossetia.

The Russian coastal city of Sochi, which borders Georgia and the breakaway autonomous region of Abkhazia, is hosting the 2014 winter Games.

"It is not a pleasant thing to think that 25 km (15 miles) from Sochi there is a potential conflict region of Abkhazia."

RECORD REVENUES

Rogge, whose eight-year term ends next year and could run for another four years, said he would not take a decision before October.

Any re-election bid would be boosted by record audiences for the Beijing Olympics -- up by about 30 percent world-wide, increased broadcasting revenues and growing sponsorship deals.

Rogge predicted the 2014-2016 media rights would top the $3.8 billion broadcasters paid for the 2010-2012 two-Games period, boosted by new media revenues including the Internet.

"It is a public secret that (U.S. rights holder) NBC will make a hefty profit."

He said European offers for 2014-2016 had started to come in. "These proposals are way up. Very encouraging," he said.

For U.S. broadcasters the tender procedure would start immediately after the Games and Rogge said more bidders were expected.

"We had four bidders last time," he said of CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox. "I expect all of them to be back and more."

Criticism that the Beijing Games schedule, including setting swimming finals in the morning to suit U.S. audiences, was not an issue, Rogge said.

"The IOC wants to find the best possible balance between audience and scheduling, making sure the athletes do not suffer," he said.

(Editing by Jeremy Laurence)