AP Interview: IOC close to new sponsorship deals

The International Olympic Committee is close to finalizing deals with new global sponsors for the 2012 London Games.

IOC marketing commission chairman Gerhard Heiberg told The Associated Press that he hopes to wrap up the negotiations in Vancouver at next month's Winter Games.

"We are still speaking to several companies, and we will speak to them just before the games in Vancouver," Heiberg said in a telephone interview. "We are in good communication with some possible sponsors. We are still talking. We are close. We need to finalize."

The IOC currently has nine companies in its top-tier TOP sponsorship program for the …