Corruption in the IOC

[Molly30 0]

Hello everyone’s .  I came across this forum, and I’ve found it truly interesting! I was curious to know your thoughts about the use of the bribes between the different governments and the international Olympic comity. 

Do you think that the Chinese government used bribes to receive the Olympic games just like Brazil, Russia and Japan did?

[Grassmarket 3,626]

Welcome. 
 

I have no doubt there are bribes & corruption, but in this case China got the Games because of a scandal in Norway (the logical candidate) related to the excessive demands of the IOC for luxury hotels, private jets, limos etc.

 

However the problems we have this time are because IOC President Thomas Bach (Gold Medal, Fencing, 1976*) is a foolish egotistical man - not very corrupt in the normal sense - who thinks he is a globe-trotting international diplomat whose mission is to bring Peace to the World.  And not what he is, a sports bureaucrat whose job it is to stage the best possible sporting competition - which is, in itself, a very worthy goal.  Unfortunately this petty vanity means the world’s least attractive leaders find him very easy to manipulate

 

 

 

* Running gag we have here.

[NearPup 3,250]

  On 2/18/2022 at 5:38 PM, Molly30 said:

Hello everyone’s .  I came across this forum, and I’ve found it truly interesting! I was curious to know your thoughts about the use of the bribes between the different governments and the international Olympic comity. 

Do you think that the Chinese government used bribes to receive the Olympic games just like Brazil, Russia and Japan did?

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I'm honestly not sure if there were bribes involved or if it was legitimate concerns that wouldn't be able to deliver the games, but it is absolutely clear that the IOC executives put a lot of pressure on the membership to select Beijing over Almaty.

 

TBH given the current unrest in Kazakhstan I think they might have had a point.

[Grassmarket 3,626]

  On 2/18/2022 at 7:28 PM, NearPup said:

I'm honestly not sure if there were bribes involved or if it was legitimate concerns that wouldn't be able to deliver the games, but it is absolutely clear that the IOC executives put a lot of pressure on the membership to select Beijing over Almaty.

 

TBH given the current unrest in Kazakhstan I think they might have had a point.

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When you say “legitimate concerns that Qazaqstan* would be able to deliver the Games” you do of course mean “whether Qazaqstan was as authoritarian as China”

 

 

* Did anyone else notice that during the Opening Ceremony that Kazakh athletes were waving “Qazaqstan” flags?  I anticipate a Stalinesque national renaming campaign coming soon.

[FancyFenchel 111]

  On 2/18/2022 at 5:38 PM, Molly30 said:

Do you think that the Chinese government used bribes to receive the Olympic games just like Brazil, Russia and Japan did?

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I think that IOC used bribes to secure that China will stage the Games. :D After disaster as all other/ european cities withdraw, IOC was happy to have someone, who is willing to do it and have money... and don't have to ask its people.

[Molly30 0]

I find it amusing that this president plays the hero when he is not even able to avoid crimes of corruption in his own committee, he is indeed very stupid.

I'm not sure I follow you about Norway, what happened?? @Grassmarket

[Olympian1010 8,073]

  On 2/18/2022 at 8:21 PM, Grassmarket said:

When you say “legitimate concerns that Qazaqstan* would be able to deliver the Games” you do of course mean “whether Qazaqstan was as authoritarian as China”

 

 

* Did anyone else notice that during the Opening Ceremony that Kazakh athletes were waving “Qazaqstan” flags?  I anticipate a Stalinesque national renaming campaign coming soon.

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Qazaqstan is the endonym, while Kazakhstan is the exonym (I think). Basically, Qazaqstan is the commonly used internal name for the country, while Kazakhstan is the commonly used external for the country. I think like Czechia, Eswatini, Cabo Verde, and Côte d’Ivoire, Qazaqstan is trying to get the international community to use the name used more commonly by those living in the country. 

[Molly30 0]

  On 2/18/2022 at 7:28 PM, NearPup said:

I'm honestly not sure if there were bribes involved or if it was legitimate concerns that wouldn't be able to deliver the games, but it is absolutely clear that the IOC executives put a lot of pressure on the membership to select Beijing over Almaty.

 

TBH given the current unrest in Kazakhstan I think they might have had a point.

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why do you think China would use corruption like bribes to host this sporting event, I mean what are the benefits? I know it is a way to show the world their culture and it make a lot of money, but is there other reasons? 

[NearPup 3,250]

  On 2/19/2022 at 12:53 AM, Molly30 said:

why do you think China would use corruption like bribes to host this sporting event, I mean what are the benefits? I know it is a way to show the world their culture and it make a lot of money, but is there other reasons? 

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I genuinely don't get the impression China wanted to host these Olympics all that badly. There just happened to be an opportunity and they took it, but when Beijing bid for 2022 it felt more like laying the groundwork for a future bid than a real attempt at winning. Then all the cities, one by one, withdrew.

[Triplecast 157]

  On 2/18/2022 at 6:08 PM, Grassmarket said:

Welcome. 
 

because of a scandal in Norway (the logical candidate) related to the excessive demands of the IOC for luxury hotels, private jets, limos etc.

 

 

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  On 2/18/2022 at 10:39 PM, Molly30 said:

I'm not sure I follow you about Norway, what happened?? @Grassmarket

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Welcome Molly.  Oslo was the preferred candidate city of the IOC for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games until the Norwegian government withdrew financial support, causing Oslo to withdraw its bid in 2014.  Earlier in 2014, Krakow and Stockholm had also withdrawn their bids.  The full story of the Oslo 2022 bid can be read in Wikipedia.     After Oslo withdrew, the only candidate were Beijing and Almaty.  Had Oslo not withdrawn, it is with near certainty that we would now be watching and talking about the Games coming from Norway.