Olympics in the 21st Century: Is Corruption the Name of the Game?

Olympics in the 21st Century: Is Corruption the Name of the Game?by Barbara McCuenTuesday, January 9, 2001
Just as the games' governing body, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) thought things were settled down, they fired back up again the week before the start of the Sydney Olympics. The government of Indonesia sharply criticized the body for lobbying for the release of IOC member Mohamad Hasan so he could attend the summer games. Hasan, a track and field official, is an associate of former Indonesian President Suharto and is in jail awaiting trial on charges that he embezzled $87 million in state funds. In addition to leaning on the Indonesian government for the release of a Suharto crony, two IOC members were denied entry into Australia for their alleged ties with organized crime.
A White House report released just before the games got underway charged that up to 80 percent of Olympians in some sports used performance-enhancing drugs, an atmosphere tolerated, not regulated, by the IOC. The new round of allegations has only fueled charges that the IOC is corrupt and out of control.
To top it all off, the Salt Lake City organizing committee for the 2002 games is preparing to release a "geld" document, a list compiled by Salt Lake City organizers of personal habits and family needs of IOC members. Any notions of innocence the public may have held about the games were tarnished by accusations of widespread bribery by IOC members in the selection of Salt Lake City as the host of the 2002 Olympics. Local officials reportedly spent more than $1 million on gifts and favors for IOC members in their quest to win the 2002 games.
The IOC has pledged to reform itself, but to many, the promises look like old tricks. IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch has ruled the organization with an iron fist for two decades. In March 1999, after the scandal broke, he overwhelmingly won a vote of confidence from his mostly hand-picked board, 86-2.
On One Hand...
It's time for a complete overhaul of the IOC with a new board and president. Juan Antonio Samaranch's pledges to reform the organization from within have as much credibility as a used-car salesman's pitch. IOC members have had their snouts in the money trough so long they don't know what color the sky is. The behavior of IOC members has tainted the games and will certainly still be an issue at the 2002 Winter Olympics. How can the IOC possibly enact reforms when its newly created ethics panel is made up of current members, not an independent board as was recommended? The real solution is a purging of the current corrupt committee replaced by fresh faces with principles.
On the Other Hand...
Since Samaranch has led the IOC, the popularity of the Olympics has soared. The governing body has agreed to several important reforms and is on the road to recovery. Among those reforms are lowering the limit of members from 80 to 70, financial records and meetings will be public, and a drug testing program will be instituted. The games are a symbol of international cooperation and sportsmanship. The IOC deserves a chance to prove it can live up to the games' promise of integrity.
Ten members have left the IOC since 1998 after being accused of accepting gifts from Salt Lake City Olympic organizers bidding on the games.
The IOC stands to receive more than $3.5 billion in TV-rights fees from NBC for games through 2008.
Corporations pay at least $40 million each to be official Olympic sponsors over a four-year period.