A report by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) released Wednesday to uncover alleged corruption within World Athletics (IAAF) may have caused collateral damage to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), its site selection process, and the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Investigators seemed to have inadvertently exposed an influence peddling scheme designed to profit from the 2020 Olympic bid. The report was written to reveal a doping and corruption conspiracy within the IAAF, but a small footnote offered potentially wider charges.
“Transcripts of the various discussions between Turkish individuals with KD make reference to a discussion regarding the Olympic city bidding process for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games,” a footnote on page 36 of WADA’s commission report read.
KD references Khalil Diack, son of former International Olympic Committee (IOC) member and IAAF President Lamine Diack (LD).
Read the reference from #WADA report released today. Did #Tokyo2020 try to buy the Olympic Games? pic.twitter.com/n7qtR5VhHL
— GamesBids.com (@gamesbids) January 14, 2016
Lamine Diack is currently under investigation for possible corruption charges involving the IAAF.
The report continues “it is stated that Turkey lost LD’s support because they did not pay sponsorship moneys of $ 4 to 5 million either to the Diamond League or IAAF.”
“According the transcript the Japanese did pay such a sum. The 2020 Games were awarded to Tokyo.
“The IC did not investigate this matter further for it was not within our remit.”
At a press conference Thursday WADA Commission Chair Dick Pound said he requested that the IAAF take a closer look at the allegations against Tokyo 2020 and the Diacks.
Tokyo won the 2020 Olympic bid after soundly defeating Istanbul 60 votes to 36 on a third ballot that was polled in 2013 in Buenos Aires. Istanbul had come out ahead of other bidder Madrid in a second ballot run-off after both cities came even, but behind Tokyo, with 26 votes each on the first ballot.
Leading up to the election, the hotly contested race seemed much tighter and experts were divided over which city they thought would win.
The IOC was rocked by a bid city vote buying scandal in 1998 that focused on the alarming trend of gaining favor from IOC members by giving lavish gifts, and in some cases cash. Some IOC members were expelled or suspended over ethics charges.
The IOC bid processes and ethics policies were rewritten to try to prevent future such occurrences.
More follows as the story develops.
