LAUSANNE (Switzerland) - IOC president Jacques Rogge said on Thursday the Olympic body is in a good position to survive the global financial crisis, and urged US Olympic officials to finalise a revised revenue-sharing deal by March - an issue which could impact Chicago's bid for the 2016 games.

Rogge said the International Olympic Committee's finances were 'solid' and that upcoming host cities in Vancouver, London and Sochi have 'stable' economic situations.

'The IOC is in a position to weather the storm, but we have to be realistic and flexible and be ready for anything that might come up,' Rogge said at the close of a two-day IOC executive board meeting.

The IOC reviewed preparations for the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, 2012 London Olympics and 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.

Rogge said Vancouver officials reported a 'positive' financial picture but want to remain 'flexible' for possible use of contingency funds, London has secured two-thirds of its domestic sponsors, and the Russian government would cover any shortfall in private financing for the Sochi Games.

Rogge reiterated that the size and cost of future Olympics must be kept in check.

'We are in a mode for lean games,' he said.

On a separate financial issue, Rogge appeared to set a deadline for resolution of the long-running dispute over the US Olympic Committee's share of international Olympic revenues.

IOC members have complained bitterly about a contract that gives the USOC nearly 13 per cent of US TV rights fees and 20 per cent of global marketing funds - a total of about $300 million for the four-year cycle ending this year.

Rogge said further talks will be held early next year, and he hopes a deal will follow soon.

'We definitely will propose to the USOC to hopefully finalise the discussions during the executive board meeting in Denver at the end of March,' Rogge said. The meeting will be March 25-27.

Rogge said the IOC would continue to deal directly on the issue with former USOC chairman Peter Ueberroth.

Ueberroth said recently that the IOC must accept that the United States provides the lion's share of the Olympic movement's money through TV and sponsorship revenue.

If the revenue issue is not resolved, it could weaken Chicago's chances for the 2016 Olympics. IOC members will vote on the host city on Oct. 2, 2009. The other candidates are Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo.

Rogge confirmed that, due to the economic downturn and slump in advertising, the IOC could wait until after the 2016 decision to negotiate the US TV rights for the 2014 and '16 games. Normally, the rights are awarded before the host city vote.

'We have a big cushion of time,' Rogge said. 'We are waiting for the best economic circumstances to negotiate. We could wait as long as needed.'

TV rights make up the bulk of the IOC's revenues, totalling $2.5 billion for the 2005-08 period.

US network NBC paid $894 million to televise this year's Beijing Games.

Rogge dismissed suggestions that the vote on the 2016 host city could be influenced by the TV rights issue.

'I know my IOC colleagues well enough that the vote they will take will be on sporting issues and not financial issues,' he said.

European rights for 2014 and 2016 are also still in play. The IOC recently rejected a bid from the European Broadcasting Union, an umbrella body of public broadcasters that had held Olympic rights for more than 50 years. The IOC is looking to raise more money - possibly as much as $1 billion - through deals with individual and private networks.

Rogge stressed that public broadcasters can still compete for rights, and that even commercial networks are required to provide 200 hours of free-to-air Olympic coverage.

Rogge said the IOC has been prudent and conservative in its financial investments, and has most TV rights and sponsorship deals in place through 2012.

Johnson & Johnson announced last month that it was not renewing as a global Olympic sponsor, the fourth to go after earlier departures by Kodak, Lenovo and Manulife.

The IOC has still secured $900 million in revenues so far from nine global sponsors for Vancouver and London. -- AP