By ROY HEWITT
Cleveland Plain Dealer

The U.S. Olympic Committee will preview the Turin Winter Olympics in Colorado Springs at the Olympic Media Summit Oct. 9-13. This is a change in the original dates.

In case you have never taken advantage of this event, it is an opportunity for writers to interview members of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic teams. More than 70 athletes representing all sports are expected during the summit at the Antlers Hilton Hotel.

Photographers will also have the opportunity to photograph selected athletes.

Media registration begins on Sunday, Oct. 9, with press conferences and roundtable interviews starting Monday.

Sessions will be held at the Colorado Springs Antlers Hilton Hotel and the U.S. Olympic Complex.

Credential applications are available at www.usocpressbox.org.  Hotel reservations can be made by calling Hilton reservations at 1-800-Hiltons (445-8667) or directly to the hotel at 1-866-299-4602. When calling, tell them you are reserving a room for the U.S. Olympic Media Summit and give them the group code of USOCMS to receive the special rate.

Key dates to remember for the Turin Olympics include:

July 10: Credential applications with individuals' names and information due to Torino. Those applications will be mailed out to the media in June.

Aug. 1: Deadline for ordering from rate card (for telecommunications equipment or furnishings for private offices).

Oct. 31: Final payment (50 percent) due for housing. (The first 50 percent payment was delayed, but was due 30 days after receiving the notice of housing allotment.)

Dec. 17: News organizations receive documents which serve as your visa and allow journalists to enter Italy. (You need a passport, too.) The document becomes the credential when activated in Turin.

Dec. 31: Deadline for payments for rate card orders.

Feb. 10-26, 2006: Winter Olympics in Turin.

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