Full Text -- Remarks of IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch -- 01/25/1999

Full Text -- Remarks of IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch

25 January, 1999

By The International Olympic Committee
CNS Information Services

Statement of IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch
Lausanne, Switzerland
24 January 1999

First, I want to express my deepest apology – to the athletes, the people of Salt Lake City and Utah, the global Olympic Family, and the millions of citizens worldwide who revere the Games and hold in esteem the high standards the Games represent. My apology is for the actions of those IOC members who violated the bidding process for the 2002 Winter Games.

I am sincerely disappointed that IOC members were involved in the events revealed in this investigation and am deeply saddened by their conduct.

The IOC Executive Board met today to take actions based on the report of the Ad-Hoc Commission. While our decisions are unprecedented in their scope, the Executive Board and I feel these steps are fully justified. The members in question breached their Olympic Oath and violated the faith bestowed in them by the Olympic Family. The actions of a number of IOC members and SLOC bid committee members were improper and clearly outside the guidelines and policies of our organization.

We are resolute in our determination to root out the improprieties and to ensure that this never happens again. The IOC was the first organization to launch an inquiry, and now we are the first to report and act on our findings. We will do whatever is necessary to protect the integrity and ideals of the Olympic Games – and to restore the people's faith in the Olympic Movement.

The Executive Board looks upon this investigation as an opportunity to put our house in order and enact the necessary reforms to keep it that way. This is the beginning, not the end, of our work. I am certain that the Olympic Movement will emerge from this crisis stronger than ever. I take personal responsibility for seeing these reforms enacted, and the IOC will deal with any member who has not met the ethical standards set forth in the Olympic Charter.

Earlier today, the IOC Executive Board took six very significant steps -

First, effective today, on the advice of the IOC Executive Board, I have temporarily excluded six IOC members, pending a vote of the entire IOC Session on their expulsion next March in Lausanne.

Second, the Executive Board has decided to continue the investigation by the Ad Hoc Commission into the conduct of three IOC members.

Third, the Executive Board voted to issue a warning to one IOC member.

Fourth, the Executive Board has decided to form an Ethics Commission that will introduce globally-accepted guidelines and procedures to ensure that the IOC conforms with the world's best practices in self-governance. It will be composed of outstanding senior persons, a majority of whom will be independent, outside members.

Fifth, the Executive Board has decided to broaden its investigation to other cities involved in the bidding for the Olympic Games. I would like, though, to be very clear on one point. The Games of Sydney and Salt Lake will not be moved.

And finally sixth, the Executive Board recommended that major reforms to the host city bidding and election processes be instituted with respect to the 2006 Olympic Winter Games and future Games thereafter.

The gravity of these issues led me to call an extraordinary meeting of the IOC session March 17th and 18th. At that meeting, the IOC will deal decisively with these issues. We will continue to root out wrongdoing and expel any member found guilty of inappropriate conduct.

As of today, three IOC members have elected to resign. I would like to thank them for taking the honorable path.

The Executive Board is unanimous in its decision that six members must be expelled. I therefore encourage each of them: tender your resignations. Do not wait to be expelled by the Session. Put an end to this ugly chapter in the history of the Olympic Games.

These members have done great harm to the Olympic Ideal. Now their greatest service to the Olympic Movement is simply to accept their fate.

I also want to thank the members of the Ad-Hoc Commission (Vice President Pound, Vice President Schmitt, Judge Mbaye, Dr Bach, Chevalier Dr Rogge and IOC Director General Fransois Carrard) for giving their time to this difficult exercise. I appreciate the speed with which they dispatched their difficult and crucial duty.

Finally, I would again like to extend my personal apology to the Olympic Family for the troubling concerns that have surfaced in the last few months. It should not have happened. I am sorry.

I hope the decisions we made today will demonstrate our resolve to never let this happen again.

I will now ask the Chairman of the Ad Hoc Commission, Richard Pound, to present the report, following which the IOC Director General will provide you with the specific details of the press statement that will be issued following this press conference.

Thank you.

(( For more invomation, visit the International Olympic Committee. ))

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