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Hypocrisy in gold medal class:

Ethics in the Olympic movement

by Simon Longstaff

When Hercules was given the task of cleaning the Augean stables, as one of his seven labours, it could hardly have been more of a challenge than finding what lies at the heart of the stink starting to rise from the innards of the Olympic movement.

Of course, there have been rumours of corruption circulating for years. And, of course, nobody has done anything to investigate them, let alone address the problem.

So it is that another worthy institution is betrayed not by the mere fact of human frailty (who isn't?), but by the mealy-mouthed response to the latest disclosures.

The hypocrisy at work here is breathtaking in its scale. For years the Olympics has been held up as some kind of sacred event, a showcase for what is noble in the human being.

For years, people have sought to cash in on the reflected glory that comes from an Olympic ideal that is supposed to transcend the more petty events of our days.

Whole nations commit unbelievable resources in pursuit of the honour of hosting the games. And now we find that honour, glory, the whole panoply of Olympic shining ideals are for sale, for cash or in kind!

Given all the rhetoric, we might be for expecting the leaders of the Olympic movement would be quick to apply the highest standards of conduct to their dealings. That International Olympic Committee president Juan Antonio Samaranch would do the barely decent thing and resign.

But no, Australian IOC official Phil Coles now tells us the Olympic movement isn't really special after all. Speaking on ABC Radio he compared corruption in the Olympics to that found in politics and the police. After all, he said, we don't expect the Prime Minister to resign over a few cases of corruption. The police commissioner isn't expected to quit because a few dishonest coppers are on the take.

So much for the Olympic ideal of excellence!

At least we now know something of the reality behind the rhetoric.

And yesterday, Coles himself gave up a job as a 'technical adviser' to a leading hotels group after his involvement was revealed in the media.

But how much do we really know?

Salt Lake City has been caught this time. How many other cities have played the same game? Are we really to believe this is the only occasion when members of the IOC have held out their palms for a good greasing?

Then again, what do the good folk at the IOC consider to be a bribe or improper inducement? Is cash in the hand definitely forbidden or does it depend on the amount? What of payment in kind: why go for the money (with all of its complications) when you can get the goodies direct: lavish entertainment, expensive gifts, sexual relief, assistance for your friends and relations? The list goes on.

So much for the Olympic ideal of fairness.

Of course, it takes two to tango. Somebody has to be willing to pay, to put together a package of irresistible goodies.

Not that anybody associated with the Sydney Olympic bid would have contemplated doing this. Former Olympics minister Bruce Baird has assured us the Sydney bid was clean, that winning the 2000 Games is all the more satisfying because we refused to sink to levels plumbed by others.

This is comforting news. However, it is incredible to think the Sydney bid team were never approached (albeit subtly) by an IOC official (or their representative) seeking special consideration?

If we knew it was going on, why didn't we shout it from the rooftops just as we do whenever we encounter, for example, a Chinese drug cheat masquerading as a swimmer?

There are, at least, a couple of reasons why our team might have stayed quiet. There will be some who would rather cut off their arm than sully the good name of the Olympics. Their advice would be to close ranks and work behind the scenes to resolve matters in a dignified manner.

Others might have engaged in a little Realpolitik and calculated that public exposure would hardly help a city mount a successful bid. Others might have been a little worried by the dictum about people in glass houses.

So much for the Olympic ideal of courage.

It is a crying shame that, of all people, members of the IOC should be found to have betrayed such ideals. Far from having lost their currency, we need such values more than ever, for they are anchors we can depend upon in a world of profound and rapid change.

Yet, we need the real thing and not pale imitations used as bunting to decorate a glorious facade that hides an interior that is empty or worse.

That is why Samaranch should go. In fact, his whole executive should probably practise what they preach and provide an exemplary example of responsible leadership.

The Olympic ideal is too important to be sacrificed for their sake. It might not be fair but their voluntary passing would be heroic.

The ancient Greek world of mythology often featured cycles of death and regeneration in which old gods, such as Kronos, made way for the likes of Zeus. It is time for Samaranch to depart Olympus and make way for another who might complete the truly Herculean task he heaves behind.

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