IOC8217;s reform package leaves strings attached

LAUSANNE, MARCH 19: The International Olympic Committee IOC attempted to convince a sceptical world today it was capable of self-reform...

LAUSANNE, MARCH 19: The International Olympic Committee IOC attempted to convince a sceptical world today it was capable of self-reform after nearly a fifth of its membership was implicated in the Salt Lake City bribery scandal.

This week8217;s extraordinary session of IOC members took a number of steps to resuscitate the body. The expulsion of six members implicated in the bribery scandal, the introduction of a new bidding procedure for the 2006 Winter Games and the opening up of the IOC8217;s finances to public scrutiny were its response to the widespread perception of a trough-feeding culture among Olympic members.

Samaranch said he hoped it would be enough to restore public confidence in the IOC. The world8217;s media begged to differ.

Most saw the two-day healing session in Lausanne as an orchestrated public relations exercise which had not gone nearly far enough in cleaning up the IOC8217;s act.

It was not at all clear why the likes of South Korean Kim Un-Yong and Phil Coles of Australia were let off with amost serious warning8217; whereas Paul Wallwork of Samoa and Mali8217;s Lamine Keith were summarily dismissed.

Suspicions that the IOC was prepared to jettison a few insignificant minnows in order to assuage public opinion were strengthened by Wallwork8217;s immediate reaction. 8220;I have the feeling I was the sacrificial lamb,8221; he said. Expelled member Sergio Santander Chile echoed Wallwork8217;s sentiments in a metaphor derived directly from the soccer pitch. 8220;It8217;s very sad who gets the yellow card and who gets the red card,8221; he said. 8220;I think the small countries were sanctioned.8221;

JC Ganga Congo said: 8220;We feel the decision does not solve the problems of the IOC. We would have liked the session to have discovered more about the truth. Neverthless we accept the decision with grace. I am an old man a good winner, and a good loser.8221;

Story continues below this ad

Nor did the new system for this June8217;s selection of the venue of the 2006 Winter Games appear to offer a convincing deterrent for candidates willing to offer bribes forvotes.

Virtually everyone in the Olympic movement sees the Swiss town of Sion and Italy8217;s Turin as clear favourites for 2006 and it would be a massive surprise if they were not selected as the two finalists. Three months ahead of the vote, Sion and Turin know they somehow have to get the votes of a majority of the IOC8217;s 108 members, just as Salt Lake City did four years ago.No more gifts: Samaranch told IOC members yesterday that he wants them to take no gifts at all from cities bidding to host the Olympics. IOC vice-president Anita Defrantz said Samaranch had expressed his view in discussions about the IOC8217;s planned ethics commission. He said: 8220;No gifts at all,8221; Defrantz said yesterday.

Heat on Coles: Former wife of Australian Phil Coles sent a note to the IOC today confirming allegations she had received gold and diamond jewellery from a man involved in the bid by Athens for the 1996 Games. 8220;I can confirm that jewellery a set of diamond cufflinks and a gold necklace was given to Coles and myself inAthen by a man involved in the Athens bid for 1996 Olympics Games,8221; Georgina wrote in the note, dated March 19.