How the IOC Turned Andrew Jennings Into a Cult Figure
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How the IOC turned Andrew Jennings into a cult figure Andrew Jennings is the International Olympic Movement's most vehement critic. Over the past decade, the English journalist has become known across the world for his revelations on corruption in the IOC. Now, he says, it's time for others to take over However, amongst the younger, reform- After many rejections, Jennings was finally minded IOC members, the so-called "good accredited to the IOC's conference in Lausanne guys" like Gerhard Heiberg and Canadian Dick in 1999. His explanation of the committee's Pound, Jennings is accepted - not least because change of heart - that they "daren't keep me out he does his homework. Like the best in his pro- any longer" - didn't go down too well. fession, Andrew Jennings is able to back up his A couple of months later, two senior IOC allegations with qualified arguments borne out members met Jennings in the bar of the Hotel of painstaking research - and for this he has ear- Palace in Lausanne, and asked him directly to ned the respect of his peers. investigate corruption in the amateur boxing As Dick Pound, tipped as a possible succes- association, the AIBA. Despite their lofty posi- sor to Samaranch, commented recently: "Jen- tions, the IOC members could not - or dared nings is the only real opponent the IOC has not - take their suspicions further. ever had." But Jennings, they reasoned correctly, had During the Play the Game conference, Jen- both the method and the will. His subsequent nings found plenty of time to chat with Pound. book "The Great Olympic Swindle" clearly de- However, such civilities between the 54-year- tailed the corruption endemic in amateur box- old journalist and an IOC member would have ing. Jennings documented Uzbek IOC member been unthinkable eight years ago, when Jen- Rakhimov's mafia links so convincingly that nings released his book The Lords of the Rings the Australian government denied him an en- - a series of damning revelations that shook the try visa, forcing him to sit out the Sydney Olympic movement, first in print and later as a Olympics. TV documentary. Andrew Jennings' original investigation It was during the build up to the Barcelona into Olympic corruption should have ended in By Steen Ankerdal Olympics that I first met Jennings. He had a 1992 - but he is still pursuing it today. And in sharp sense of humour, a healthy lack of re- this capacity, Jennings' work across the globe spect for authority and conformity, and an en- has assumed mythical proportions. hen Norway's Gerhard Heiberg told thousiasm that inspired his fellow journalists. However, Jennings is now becoming tired of the Play the Game conference that - At that time, the "old boys" of the IOC hearing himself tell the same old stories about Walthough he didn't agree with all the would probably have liked to have seen Jen- the "same old criminals." »The villains are the views of Andrew Jennings - he was in com- nings burnt at the stake together with his same, and it is becoming more and more difficult plete agreement 'with Andrew's suggestion' to books, his co-author Vyv Simpson and their to find something new« he says. »I intend to stop ban boxing from the Olympics, any final like-minded colleagues in the press. However, completely before I begin to bore myself.« doubts disappeared. Jennings - the biggest at that time, the feeling among the IOC mem- This summer's selection of a new IOC Presi- thorn in the IOC's side - was at last being taken bers was that the accusations would end - that dent could be a natural cut-off point. After seriously by members of the committee! when the athletes began to perform, interest in then, the reporters that Jennings has inspired Few, however, believe that this new found Jennings and his "fellow fantasy writers" must take over his attempts to get a truthful comradeship could ever extend all the way to would disappear. However, they reckoned reply to the question: »Why are the lying ba- Juan Antonio Samaranch. Especially after Jen- without Jennings' perseverance. When they stards lying?« nings documented the IOC president's alleged denied him press accreditation to the IOC Whenever he chooses to say a final farewell fascist past in such exacting detail. Nor could the session immediately before the Olympics were to his friends within the IOC, Jennings' place in comradeship extend to many of Samaranch's due to begin (as they had done at the three history will be assured as the first journalist to close colleagues whom Jennings has had no previous games), it only served to publicise his expose a catalogue of widespread corruption qualms in referring to as "those old Nazis." allegations further. within that body. N Play the game 8 The IOC The International Olympic Committee chooses its own members. It currently has 127 mem- bers and 20 honorary members.Around forty percent are from Europe.The IOC is governed by an 11-man executive committee. Since 1980, Spain's Juan Antonio Samaranch has been cha- irman.The 80-year-old Samaranch is expected to step down in Summer 2001.The IOC's pri- mary role is to supervise the organisation of the summer and winter Olympic Games. Tales from the dark side The International Olympic Committee is still doing all it can to live up to its bad reputation, says Andrew Jennings By Jonna Toft claimed that IOC members cashed in air tickets bribery in its failed attempt to secure the 2004 provided by the bidding city and either bought Olympics. If a court case results, it could pave ou can't help paying attention when cheaper tickets or didn't even bother to visit. the way for other former candidate cities to English journalist Andrew Jennings be- »This practice is illegal,« said Jennings. »And blow the whistle in public, says Jennings. He Ygins to speak about his investigations because it is a racket that had been practised asserts that bribes are made regularly, and no into the IOC. Words like corruption, bribery by so many for so long - it qualifies as an city can expect to host an Olympic games and favour fly through the air, and you get the organised crime.« without paying money under the table. For ex- feeling that the small, grey-haired man with the »There is no democracy in the IOC," he con- ample, he claims that the civic and business sparkling eyes and nose for critical journalism tinued. "The power and the money is control- leaders of Salt Lake City, in their successful bid knows exactly what he is talking about. Over led by Samaranch, and most of the members for the 2002 Winter Games, paid 60.000 dollars the past ten years, Jennings has carried out are hand-picked by him.« just to find out which individual IOC-mem- exhaustive research into the lives of the IOC bers were open to bribes. leaders and written a number of critical books Massive freeloading »As journalists, it is our responsibility to detailing what he claims is widespread corrup- »Serious evidence about IOC freeloading and look behind the facade of the organisations tion in the movement, the latest being The corruption has been found in bidding countries that control our lives,« he said. »Politicians and Great Olympic Swindle. Andrew Jennings' en- nearly every year since 1986,« he said. »The governments will not do more to reform inter- tertaining address to Play the Game was based IOC's newly-formed Ethics Commission has national sport if we do not carry out our work on his disclosures surrounding the IOC. received evidence of massive freeloading and correctly and reveal the private face of sports He related that after Atlanta's victory in the exploitation of the Atlanta bidding team. But organisations. There is more than enough to be race to stage the 1996 games, the IOC received last year - after considering the evidence in pri- getting on with.« so many protests from the rival cities concer- vate - the commission decided there was need Although Jennings is certainly one of the ning the activities of their members that they for further action. And the IOC has come to the people that the IOC would like to see removed held a private hearing to examine the compla- same conclusions regarding complaints from a from the face of the Earth, he has never felt per- ints. The Toronto team produced a detailed re- dozen or more other bidding cities. Can you sonally threatened as a result of his journalism. port of the abuses they'd suffered. They calcu- blame the IOC for covering up?« he asked. »Far However, he faces court action at regular inter- lated they had been ripped off to the tune of at too many journalists don't look behind the vals and some years ago was sentenced to five least 800,000 dollars. One of the tricks they public face, and are satisfied with the press re- days in a Lausanne jail. claimed had been played on them was a ticket leases from the IOC's public relations bureau.« racket that had apparently been worked for In Sweden, an investigation is underway Read more in Andrew Jennings' books "The Lords years by some members. The Toronto team into whether the Stockholm bidding team used of the Rings" and "The Great Olympic Swindle." 9 Play the game.