The Twitter hashtag used by athletes upset at not being able to honor their professional sponsors is "WeDemandChange2012."

The IOC has seen the tweets and seems unmoved.

Sanya Richards-Ross is one of the U.S. athletes who are part of a Twitter campaign demanding changes in Olympic Rule 40 — which, among other things, does not permit athletes "to promote any brand, product or service within a posting, blog or tweet or otherwise on any social media platforms or on any websites."

Asked about the Twitter campaign, IOC spokesman Mark Adams referred to the upset athletes as ones who are "lucky enough" to have high-profile sponsorship.

"This lasts for one month," Adams said. "We have a huge number, some 10,500 athletes, who understand why we do that."

Rule 40 is intended to protect official Olympic sponsors, as IOC President Jacques Rogge made clear this month: "Our position is very clear. We have to protect the sponsors because otherwise there is no sponsorship and without sponsorship there is no games."

— Jenna Fryer — Twitter http://twitter.com/jennafryer

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