USOC Chief Won’t Seek Re-Election : Olympics: Under fire for business dealings, Helmick says his reign will end after term.

U.S. Olympic Committee President Robert Helmick, under scrutiny because of concern that some of his private business arrangements represent a conflict of interest, said Saturday he will not seek re-election when his term expires next year.

Helmick, a Des Moines, Iowa, lawyer who in his six years as president has become the most influential American in international sports since Avery Brundage, made the announcement to the USOC’s Athletes’ Advisory Council during a meeting at Indianapolis.

“I don’t think it’s a remarkable decision, frankly,” Helmick said in an interview. “It’s very logical under the circumstances after all that my wife and family have gone through.”

Helmick, 54, was elected president in 1985 to succeed John B. Kelly, who died of a heart attack a few weeks into his term. Helmick was elected to serve a full four-year term in 1989 and, until recently, was virtually assured of receiving the nominating committee’s endorsement for re-election after the 1992 Summer Olympics.

But some of Helmick’s business dealings as a sports law attorney have been questioned since USA Today reported that he was a paid consultant for clients that either had or were seeking associations with the USOC or the International Olympic Committee. Helmick is a member of the IOC’s executive board.

After meeting with Helmick last weekend, the USOC’s executive committee released a statement saying it had found no evidence that Helmick attempted to influence the USOC on behalf of his clients but it appointed a special counsel to investigate further.