Meares embroiled in Olympic ad stoush

Olympic track cyclist Anna Meares has been dragged into an advertising stoush after lobby group Australian Mining was forced to pull a TV spot featuring the 10-time world champion.

Meares appears in the television commercial wearing a custom cycling jersey emblazoned with BHP Billiton logos. However Meares, her manager, and the advertiser were unaware they had breached the advertising guidelines set up to protect Olympic revenue.

All Australian team members sign the Olympic Insignia Protection Act and the Olympic Charter which puts them on a month long advertising 'blackout' leading up to the start of the Games.

No athlete is allowed to appear in any advertising without prior permission of the Australian Olympic Committee.

The group responsible for the ads, the Minerals Council of Australia, agreed to take down the ads until the ban expired.

Meares is believed to be unaware of the furore surrounding the ad, with the gold and silver medallist quietly training in an undisclosed European location.