Showing posts with label Kenya. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kenya. Show all posts

Wednesday, 2 March 2016

French Investigate Olympic Voting


French prosecutors have widened their investigation into corruption in athletics to include the bidding and voting processes for the hosting of the 2016 and 2020 Olympics.

Lamine Diack, the former president of world governing body the IAAF, is already being investigated by French authorities.

He was arrested last year on corruption and money laundering charges, over allegations he took payments for deferring sanctions against Russian drugs cheats.

Confirming the investigation was being widened, an official from the prosecutor's office said: "We are looking at these elements, but at this stage it is a question of verification. Nothing has been proved."

Tokyo, which will host the 2020 Olympics, defended the voting process when it came under scrutiny in January.

Rio 2016 organisers said on Tuesday that the city "won the right to host the Games because it had the best project".

"The difference in the votes, 66 to 32 against Madrid, excludes any possibility of an election that could have been rigged," communications director Mario Andrada said.

Diack, 82, was head of the International Association of Athletics Federations for 16 years until he stepped down last August.

He resigned as an honorary member of the IOC in November - a day after being provisionally suspended by the organisation following the start of the French investigation.

In December, a World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) report into alleged IAAF corruption claimed Diack had been prepared to sell his vote to decide on the host city for the 2020 Games in exchange for sponsorship of IAAF events.

Diack's son Papa Massata, who was employed by his father as a marketing consultant for the IAAF, is also under investigation, and a warrant for his arrest has been issued by Interpol.

Last month, Wada investigators called for a follow-up inquiry into all World Championships awarded by the IAAF for 2009-2019 after finding evidence of possible wrongdoing.

Diack Jr has been banned for life by the IAAF but told the BBC in December he and his father were innocent of the claims against them.

Prosecutors are now looking into whether the alleged corruption could have extended to vote-rigging.

The Guardian claimed last year that - according to leaked emails - Diack Jr requested a payment of $5m from Doha in 2011, shortly before a decision was made about the city's unsuccessful bid for the 2017 World Championships. The Doha bid denies any wrongdoing.

In January, the newspaper reported he apparently arranged for "parcels" to be delivered to six IOC members in 2008, when Qatar was bidding for the 2016 Olympics, which will be hosted by Rio.

An IOC spokesman said the organisation had been in close contact with French prosecutors since the beginning of this investigation.

He added: "The IOC's chief ethics and compliance officer had already asked for the IOC to be fully informed in a timely manner of all issues that may refer to Olympic matters and has already applied to become a party to the investigations led by the French judicial authorities."


Friday, 25 April 2014

Phelps Second to Lochte in Comeback

Getty Images
Michael Phelps finished second in the 100m butterfly final at the Arena Grand Prix in Arizona - his first event since coming out of retirement.

The 18-time Olympic champion, who retired after the London 2012 Games, was beaten by rival Ryan Lochte.

helps, 28, came out of retirement following concerns about weight gain.

"It's one meet; it's one race," said Phelps, who will also contest Friday's 50m freestyle. "It's a long way from whether I decide to continue or not."

American Lochte finished in 51.93 seconds - the second-fastest time in the world this year - with Phelps close behind in 52.13 and Kenya's Jason Dunford third in 53.08.

Phelps' time was more than two seconds outside his world record of 49.82, set in 2009, but comfortably under the qualifying standard required for the United States national championships in August - which will act as a selection event for next year's World Championships in Russia.

"I'm really excited about how things went," added Phelps, when speaking to ESPN. "I do know what I need to do if I want to continue and swim faster."

Lochte, a five-time Olympic champion who beat Phelps to win the 400m individual medley at London 2012, said his fast time was a result of his rival's return to the pool.

"I probably wouldn't have gone that time if Phelps wasn't in that pool with me," said Lochte, 29. "We push each other all the time.

"With what he's done for the sport of swimming and him leaving kind of broke my heart a little because I love getting on those blocks and racing him.

"Now that he's back I've got a big old smile on my face."


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