Fred’s vision was to pampebonanzaet IOC – Aftenposten

Fred's vision was to pampebonanzaet IOC – Aftenposten

Human. International peace. Sport as a tool for education.

Pierre de Coubertin had large, noble thoughts as he sat in his living room in Paris the summer of 1889: How to ensure peaceful coexistence between nations by allowing young people from around the world meet to amicable rivalry?

Five year he used to hatch out their visionary plan. In the summer of 1894 established the Frenchman International Olympic Committee. Two years later, the first Olympics held in Athens.

Citius. Altius. Fortius.

Faster. Higher. Stronger. Coubertin believed it certainly good.

120 years later the IOC stronger and richer than ever. But in Norway, we are talking only about pamper overwhelm, greed, corruption and shattered Olympic dream for Oslo.

What’s up with IOC?

Money Machine

No portraits of Dæhlie, Devers or Jegorova first meets you in the IOC museum in Lausanne, Switzerland, bathed in beautiful autumn sun. It is Coca-Cola, Toshiba, Toyota and Kodak – in gold lettering. In recent decades, the international elite sport has become a money machine. The so-called non-profit organization, the IOC has been with the party all the way. At age 20, the organization’s revenue more than tripled (see graphic). From 2009 to 2012 headed the IOC into a scant 50 billion, according to separate reports.

– It is difficult to rely on these numbers. IOC is in Switzerland for tax reasons. They are also exempt a number of provisions because they are not considered as a commercial enterprise, which is absurd when you look the sums circulating, the former sports scientist and now influential blogger Andrew Selliaas.

money comes from sponsors and selling media rights (see graphic). On his own website says IOC that 90 percent of the proceeds go back to sports federations, national Olympic committees and international federations as Ski Federation and FIFA soccer. The remainder, just under 5 billion from 2009 to 2012, will cover the IOC’s “operational and administrative costs.”

– The key for the IOC is to increase revenue for the Olympic Movement. But the system is very closed and it is very difficult to control the flow of money, saying the award winning German journalist Jens dig Weinmeyer. He followed the IOC closely for nearly 25 years.

In parallel with the commercialization of the sport’s vaults in Lausanne become increasingly fuller: In January could IOC president Thomas Bach confirm that the organization has $ 932 million, roughly 5.5 billion Norwegian kroner, placed in banks and securities. This is money that will ensure continued operation for four years in case an Olympics would be canceled.

Back to the roots

After the huge spending in the Sochi Olympics – some reports that cost 300 billion – was the Norwegian Olympic debate largely characterized by words such as “sobriety” and “people.” Only we got the Olympics, we should take the toys back to the roots and show the world how to make celebration without breaking the credit limit.

The IOC should look to Norway and convinced that luxury hotels, VIP treatment, drinks with the king and lavish claims belonged to the past.

– Those members who have been long in the IOC insists on getting special treatment. They feel special and will be treated accordingly. These requirements are part of their DNA, says Weinmeyer.

Was there ever really realistic? That little Norway, by carrying IOC bosses of bus and to encourage greater transparency, should be able to change a culture that has evolved over the decades?

– There prevails a perception that we are an important cross-nation that we must Having the Olympics. But IOC will spread cross-country skiing, and you need the Olympics be elsewhere. The IOC sits the powerful people from Asia and the Middle East who do not care a jot about Norway. Also sponsors want to emerging markets in Asia, says Selliaas.

– We have not even gotten a black eye, said IOC President Thomas Bach after Oslo announced that they will pull OL application.

The rejection of Oslo and accusations from Norwegian politicians’ pampering claim “experienced probably more like air than hurricane among suit-clad men in the bar at the Palace Lausanne, the hotel IOC bosses often use.

The IOC has after all been weathered storms before.

Lillehammer, 8th February 1994

Then everything stops. In his suite at Lillehammer Hotel sprinkle the late IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch to.

The former member of Franco’s fascist party does not like what is said on TV.

– It is bad and might not sport worthy, says cross-country icon and folk hero Vegard Ulvang days before he will take the Olympic oath in Lysgårdsbakken.

Finnmark Nobody had a few weeks earlier talked about exercise, and body shape on TV2 But it was one question and one answer that was about to topple the entire Olympics:

“What do you think of the IOC president has a history of Franco’s government?».

– I had to respond. There I had learned at school. That this was not something I proud of. But the answer came at the end of a long interview. I thought the interview had already been sent and had not dreamed that it would come when, several weeks later, telling Ulvang.

Samaranch became angry and threatened to cancel the entire party.

Lillehammer chief Gerhard Heiberg, King Harald for help. And there he was. His Excellency (Samaranch, not Harald) were invited to dine with the king, the Northern Jorstad Farm Maihaugen.

– Samaranch has a weakness for royal etiquette, pomp and circumstance, and it obviously did King Harald says Heiberg in the book Sports King .

Lillehammer arranged according Samaranch “best games ever”.

Salt Lake City, December 1998

Shocked residents hear IOC member Marc Hodler tell that the city has used bribery to get the Olympics just over three years later.

Salt Lake City was the city of the mighty sports politicians traveled from as wealthy men. One IOC member was funded school place in Washington for her daughter, one received free medical care for the entire family. And so it continued stories: About lubrication, the corruption, the IOC members who had rifles and shotguns to a far greater value than the 150 dollars they were allowed to receive.

Salt Lake City was the Salt Fake City. Cutlery city.

After a long investigation disappeared ten members of the IOC.

Seoul, June 1999

All expect the IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch announces the Swiss Sion which hosted the Winter Olympics in 2006, but from the very Spaniard reads: “The twentieth Olympic … Olympic winter games in Turin in 2006 is …!” .

The allegations about foul play starts immediately. IOC had previously concluded Sion clearly the best option. How did the industrial city of Turin rap this stretch?

The Swiss Marc Hodler was the man who years before had warned about the widespread corruption in Salt Lake City. It had earned him enemies in the IOC. Now he worked hard to bring the Olympics to their homeland.

– Many thought this was “payback time” against Hodler, said an anonymous source in the IOC to The Daily Telegraph.

Behind the Turin application was the stone rich and powerful Agnelli family, who owned Fiat. Hodler had again heard about possible bribes. Rumors said Agnelli ensured that IOC members had a Ferrari each.

53 IOC members ended up voting for Torino, 36 in Zion.

– Democracy won but Switzerland lost, beating President Samaranch firm.

The IOC would not comment on the critical statements in this article.

Oslo, 1 October 2014

Many thought Wednesday night that democracy again won, and that it was the IOC that lost when plans to Oslo Olympics was shelved.

– Thank you, Norway! You have sent the world an important message. And you have done yourself a huge favor by stopping the greedy bosses from coming to their country. Now the IOC choose a dictatorship as the host nation in 2022, says author Andrew Jennings (71).

The Scot is mildly critical of the powerful sports organization. In 1992 he released the IOC critical book Lord of the Rings .

Now he’s out with the recent book Omerta , which is largely about FIFA, but also devotes a chapter to the IOC and many of the organization’s members.

Jennings has nothing positive to say about the IOC.

– They are self-absorbed, they are greedy, they only think about money. And they set themselves in front of the performers. For them, limousines important.

– Do you think the IOC may change

– No. For them is a good time to add the Olympics to Kazakhstan or Beijing, and they love dictatorships without a free press. Because then they can do as they please without any set requirements or questions.

VIP files in Gudbrandsdal

Vegard Ulvang still stands for what he said in 1994, and he believes it got something good out of it.

– Perhaps impact of criticism from me and others that there was a stay in the culture of corruption, it was cleared up in choosing the arrangements, that it was put an age limit, it , representative selection. Technically, there were significant democratic changes. But the criticism I got with it, do not hold today. It goes with the picture.

Vegard Ulvang not absolve the IOC today, he believes there is much that is not “nice”. But he sees the debate about privileges oversimplified.

– For example, the VIP files in Lillehammer made that we should start by numerous exercises. We ran into them every day because we had to. All accredited journalists and used it well. When it is linked to the 100 IOC members, it is completely wrong. I do not know how they are cared for. But in 1994 lived IOC in Lillehammer Hotel, and very extravagant was not. I was visiting the suite to Samaranch. It was not very big, but it was still good enough.

Ulvang, head of cross-committee of FIS (International Ski Federation), acknowledges that the FIS and other winter sports are benefiting from IOC.

– FIS is a large union, but 30 percent of the revenue is directly transfers from the IOC. We must recognize the IOC as an important player in international sports, not only do bad things.

Ulvang also believe that it must be accepted that there are significant cultural differences in international sports.

– We can not dictate how the world is and how the world should be. I think everyone who works internationally aware.

Now what IOC

When Thomas Bach autumn of 2013 was elected as IOC president, promised the German reforming the Olympic movement.

Although it has largely been searching cities like Beijing and Sochi has driven the price for the Olympics up, not the IOC itself, the organization has apparently understood that Western democracies require another sobriety and transparency – also from IOC.

The question is whether Bach has impact enough, or whether the old culture will resist attempts at change.

– He wants change, we must believe him. Meanwhile, Bach also a power politician. First and foremost, he thinks of the commercial interests, not human rights, says Andreas Selliaas.

Bach’s compatriot, dig journalist Jens Weinmeyer believe reform will have clear limitations.

– They will probably have to change the application process and details around the toys, but there are cosmetic changes. IOC members see neither the need or desire to change the IOC, he said.

Strengths

Associate Professor Dag Vidar Hanstad by NIH believes the Olympic idea has much to commend it.

– The toys should serve the physical, social, cultural and moral cultivation of the individual and society. At the same time I realize that it can be perceived as pompous. The IOC manages to gather the world every year, is positive in itself. We’ve had some games in the recent time has gone crazy due to gigantism. It must at some point stop. My impression is that the IOC has understood it.

The Norwegian debate has been far more influenced by the vast riches that attempted exempt from taxation than if the money goes back to the sport.

– All of the world’s 204 national Olympic committees get a piece of the pie. For many small associations does the money from the IOC very much explains Hanstad.

– Do you think the IOC is shaken to its foundations by the Norwegian no?

– Interest alone does not Norges no anything . But when it starts to become more like jumps, reacting it enough. Especially the fact that Germany, with its market and economy, says no to hosting the Winter Olympics, was much worse than Norway no. The next Winter Games will probably end up in Beijing. The rhetoric of the IOC will be the winter sport comes to new markets and new areas. This will be turned into a success story, however.

– Some argue that this is the beginning of the end for both the IOC and the Olympic Games?

– Seen Norwegian politicians pronounce it, and it shows well that many here at home are like little reality oriented that we accuse the IOC to be.

Putin may decide

While the summer Olympics still an arrangement western democracies fighting to stands there are between one-party state China and the gjennomkorrupte dictatorship in Kazakhstan ahead of the Winter Olympics in 2022.

IOC Committee to consider the two candidates, headed by Russian Alexander Zhukov, a close friend and advisor to the Russian President, Vladimir Putin.

– It is difficult to say who will win, says IOC know Jens Weinmeyer, but adds: – I think it is a political question to be decided by Putin and those in power in Beijing.

Published: 04.okt. 2,014 9:56 p.m.