It’s Time to Tell the IOC Emperors They Have No Clothes

The stories emerging from Olympics headquarters in Switzerland recall the familiar fable about the emperor’s new clothes. While the emperor is persuaded by his sycophants that he is resplendent in a gold suit, it takes a little boy to declare that the emperor is not wearing any clothes at all.

So it goes with the emperors of Olympic sport, who reassure each other that their credibility and authority remain intact while each new revelation of high-level corruption shows that their “clothes” actually are in shreds.

The recent refusal to give the International Olympic Committee the power to deal with the use of drugs in world sporting competition is only the latest sign of terminal weakness in the IOC and its long-entrenched president, Juan Antonio Samaranch. And a budding revolt within the IOC against Samaranch’s plan to change the site-selection process indicates that his continued tenure is in doubt.

The question is not whether Samaranch and his close associates share the blame for the perks and payoffs that marred the choice of Salt Lake City for the winter games in 2002. Regardless of what the investigators discover, new leadership is required now to restore some of the lost glory of the Olympic movement before it is too late.

The best answer would be an early retirement for Samaranch at the age of 79 rather than allowing him to continue until his term expires in two years. In order to move quickly, someone of unquestioned integrity who is acceptable to the IOC must be appointed to take charge.

Princess Anne of Britain, an IOC member, has those qualifications. She has been an Olympic competitor, heads the International Equestrian Federation and long has scorned the lavish gifts that were provided to IOC members by cities seeking to host winter or summer games.

Her selection as interim administrator would be greeted with nothing but applause. In the long term, the secrecy and lack of accountability that has characterized Olympic decision-making must be relegated to the dustbin of history. Eventually, with ample time for transition, the virtual life terms of IOC members must be limited and they must be elected by their national sports organizations rather than anointed by their peers. After all, the Olympics has become a multibillion dollar business and it can no longer be run like a family concern that need not open its books to anyone.

In many ways, the IOC has outlived its usefulness. It is amazing, for example, that the president of the U.S. Olympic Committee is not a member of this powerful governing body. This is true although the overwhelming percentage of Olympic funds comes from the United States. Therefore, USOC membership on the IOC should be a no-brainer.

Ever since the Los Angeles games in 1984 proved that the Olympics could be a profitable venture, the competition among cities to host the world’s best athletes has become intense and, in some cases, unprincipled. Reform of the selection process by putting more weight on a professional evaluation of a site’s athletic facilities rather than more marginal factors would reduce the temptations offered to decision-makers.

Finally, former Olympians and corporate sponsors of the games must insist on immediate changes in the IOC’s high command as well as far-reaching reforms in institutions that have shown little ability to prevent scandals from erupting in Salt Lake City and elsewhere. Champions of world renown such as Mark Spitz and Carl Lewis could be recruited to spearhead cleansing changes in the governance of the games. Public-spirited corporations such as Coca-Cola and John Hancock Insurance cannot sit on the sidelines while the reputation of the Olympics slips to the depths.

At their best, the Olympics demonstrate the limits of human performance and hold up the ideal of fair play. They help to unify a world too often divided by religious and ethnic conflict. But athletes--and the public--deserve a level playing field and confidence in the integrity of the games.

The Olympic emperors must relinquish their powers to avoid even more disgrace and clear the way for positive changes. As it is now, there is too little accountability, too little openness and far too much arrogance at the top to keep the status quo.