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Sydney 2000 vote-buying?


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According to Games Bids as well as the Sydney Morning Herald, 2 votes may have been 'bought' by the Australian OC head that helped Sydney win the 2000 Games.  For the Aussies in here, some of you have mentioned the Sydney Morning Herald as being anti-Olympic, is this just another baseless claim or is there some fire to this smoke?   Anyone have any 'scoop' on this or are we all waiting for BBC's Panorama to air before we have any more information?  

http://www.smh.com.au/olympics/articles/20...1476498157.html

Although this will do nothing IMO to rain on Sydney's parade as being 'best Games ever'.  I guess the trick is that if you bribe IOC members, don't get caught until years later!

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To me, the question is, did the money really go to fund sporting programs in the countries mentioned?

If so, it's probably borderline acceptable _ it's sports diplomacy, trying to win friends by helping out those who could do with some assistance.

If we're talking about the money going directly into some individual's pockets, or the sporting program assistance being knowingly used to fly some individual around the world to attend conferences or give him a good office and official car, then you have an ethical problem.

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Exactly my thoughts - at what point does honest assistance become bribery?  It seems that most bids these days court the 'developing world' with various offers - money for infrastructure, free flights and accommodation for competitors immediate family members, etc... - but someone offering to swing votes in return for investments is not on.
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Would it be better to forbid any national Olympic Committee that has a bid for the Games from donating money - even if it is with the best of intentions?   I think so.

Seems to me that even if the money does go to aid sport development in third world nations that it still represents too much of a conflict of interest for IOC members from these nations.  

The IOC has funds that go for this purpose - any money given should be given to the IOC and they can distribute it to aid developing nations for the sole purpose of developing a stronger sports program.

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It seems to me Sydney has bribed, but not in the way past cities have done it, like Atlanta or Salt Lake City.

 Like how the Athens commitee accued Atlanta with bribng commitee members with heart operations and education in America  for their children.

  But I still think a commitee can donate money if it is not directly pointed at the commitee members themselves.

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But I still think a commitee can donate money if it is not directly pointed at the commitee members themselves.

I guess my concern is that as long as this practice continues, it will only lead to more questions and the appearance of fraud even if the money is given under the best of intentions and used for the best of purposes.  Let the IOC distribute aid money given by national OC's - at least that's what I think should be done.  Of course then, we would have to rely on the goodness of IOC members to do the right thing so for all I know, that could be worse!

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I think the biggest issue here is how can the IOC, with a straight face and any credibility, point at an athlete caught taking performance enhancing drugs and cry to the world "cheater, cheater, cheater!!!" when they themselves are guilty of the same.
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Just more proof that the Sydney Moaning Herald is anti-Olympic.....

This isnt news...Its OLD news...like 5 years ago

CNN even did a story back in 1999

http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/europe/9901/22/olympics.03/

On the eve of a great Olympics,this tabloid trash continues its anti-Olympic crusade.

This so called "news"paper should rot in ####...

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Yes the Sydney Morning Herald has always been anti olympics, but like Thatsnotmypuppy has said, this is just all part of the bid city ride.

Every city that wins the games will have to go through this.....

This is just another bullcrap story from a cold feated SMH reporter... stiring up trouble....again

Considering the show Sydney put on, maybe it was a good thing the bribed people, not saying they did though....

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