Australian Olympic chief John Coates said Saturday that he believes there's a good chance some athletes will protest on the medal podium at the Beijing Olympics.

"It is a real possibility," Coates said following the Australian Olympic Committee's annual general meeting on Saturday.

"The IOC doesn't want the competition to be prejudiced in any way by any demonstrations. They may happen, and they'll have to be dealt with depending on how serious they are."

China has been heavily criticized by world leaders for its human rights record and for the recent crackdown in Tibet. The Olympic torch's journey around the world was marred by protesters ahead of the Aug. 8-24 games.

Coates said there could be podium demonstrations in Beijing similar to the black power protest on the medal podium by American track athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.

Smith and Carlos raised their black-gloved fists and bowed their heads during the playing of "The Star-Spangled Banner." Both were expelled from the games.

Coates' comments came as the AOC loosened its protest guidelines for Australian athletes. The new guidelines, announced at the annual general meeting, expand on protest rules issued during the week by the International Olympic Committee.

The AOC says athletes must respect the dignity of the host nation China, their fellow athletes and the Olympic charter.

PARALYMPIC SWIMMER QUALIFIES: Natalie du Toit won the 100-meter freestyle at the Paralympic World Cup on Saturday -- one week after she qualified for the Olympics in the open-water event.

The South African touched in 1 minute, 1.32 seconds at the same Manchester, England, pool where she competed at the 2002 Commonwealth Games. She lost her lower left leg in a motorcycle accident in 2001.

That didn't extinguish her Olympic dreams and last Saturday she qualified for Beijing with a fourth-place finish in the 10-kilometer race at the world open-water championships in Seville, Spain.

BMX QUALIFYING: Kyle Bennett is the United States' first Olympic BMX qualifier.

A three-time BMX world champion, Bennett clinched his spot on this summer's Beijing-bound team Saturday, making the finals of a World Cup race in Denmark, enough to wrap up USA Cycling's yearlong points competition for an automatic Olympic berth.

The U.S. will send three men's BMX racers to the Beijing Games, but only one spot was assured from the points race. Another will be claimed at the Olympic trials on June 14, and the third will be a coaches' selection.

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