Paper Trail Shows How Cold Coles Was to IOC Members

It has gotten vicious Down Under, what with International Olympic Committee member and amateur secret agent Phil Coles refusing to resign from the Sydney Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games, prompting a fed-up SOCOG President Michael Knight to force the issue by releasing private dossiers on more than 70 IOC members compiled by Coles and his partner, Patricia Rosenbrock.

The dossiers, assembled during the campaign that eventually won the 2000 Summer Games for Sydney in 1993, amount to a paper millstone for Coles, already flailing to save his IOC career. They were intended for the eyes of Sydney organizers only, but somehow wound up in the hands of Salt Lake City bid officials and then leaked to the Australian Broadcasting Corp.

And now, 16 of them can be accessed via the Sydney Morning Herald Web site--photocopies of the actual dossiers, featuring typewritten observations of IOC members by Coles and personal handwritten notes by Rosenbrock that seem to have been included mainly for the benefit of Salt Lake City campaigners.

The comments--Rosenbrock’s, in particular--are gossipy, catty, petty, trifling, mean-spirited.

In other words, they make for fascinating reading.

Some excerpts:

MARIO VASQUEZ RANA, MEXICO

Coles: “Kept my distance from him [during Barcelona Olympics], but during a dinner in Hotel Sofia one evening, he took trouble to come over and pay his greetings--something he would not normally have done . . . We should seek special meeting with him . . . at Acapulco.”

Rosenbrock: “A man interested only in his own benefits and power. [His wife] is quite pleasant, speaks no English and appears to be a ‘good’ obedient type wife. Does not even mix a lot with the other Latin wives. Who knows? Depends which city best suits some purpose of his.”

PHILIPPE CHATRIER, FRANCE

Coles: “Always should be regarded as Sydney supporter, but very close to [Juan Antonio] Samaranch and could not underestimate that connection. However, has said that China would use all means necessary to prove supremacy if Beijing won.”

Rosenbrock: “Had dinner in Paris. He is definitely having an Alzheimer type problem. [Wife] is very down to Earth and sharp. Very anti-Communist Beijing regime. Pro-American. Lived there for some time. Still has ‘son or daughter’ in USA. Chatted about Salt Lake. She assured Philippe that Deer Valley is best snow in world.”

CHIHARU IGAYA, JAPAN

Coles: “Informed me that he would have to support Beijing first, then Sydney, told him that I was very disappointed.”

Rosenbrock: “Very friendly. [Wife] Akiko has sent me [some] lovely gifts and they write very warm notes of friendship. However their friendship does not supersede business interests in deciding voting preference. Akiko has become very reluctant to travel with [husband] Chic since openly criticised for her obvious influence over him.”

JOSE DALMIRO VALLARINO VERACIERTO, URUGUAY

Coles: “Heard recently that he has been approached by Samaranch to support Beijing--However he feels members will not tell SAMARANCH their true feelings on voting. He thinks IOC members should vote for Sydney.”

Rosenbrock: “Quite ‘mad’ at times . . . Vallarino may be a bit anti-USA, but he would like the people of Salt Lake I’m sure. Think he would not favour a European city unless it was a Latin one.”

JAN STAUBO, NORWAY

Coles: “Confided in me during [Barcelona] games and took liking to Patricia. He is looking forward to his visit--and, of course, Barrier Reef.”

Rosenbrock: “He is a little difficult to cater for. Tends to order food and then is unable to swallow it. Has some sort of throat difficulty. Also difficult with his hip to get around. She is much younger. His third wife I think . . .

WALTHER TROGER, GERMANY

Coles: “Had dinner [in Bonn]. I would have to assume Walther’s vote for Sydney if Berlin was to retire in early voting round.”

Rosenbrock: “Good friends. [Wife] Almuth quite likes to receive small gifts and complained to me that she thought she had missed out on some things because they represented a bidding city. After the decision I promised to give her a scarf or two that she liked. She was very pleased.”

CAROL ANNE LETHEREN, CANADA

Coles: “Patricia and I were only non-Canadians invited to her birthday party in Barcelona. Sydney vote . . . Called and asked Patricia and I to join her on a private holiday trip. Advised that season was not good for the type of activities she planned. Rain check taken.”

Rosenbrock: “Very good friend--on a woman-to-woman basis . . . Salt Lake was her choice--but the entry of Quebec will now have to place Salt Lake second for her.”

FLOR ISAVA-FONSECA, VENEZUELA

Coles: “Difficult to assess her sincerity . . . Adopted Patricia and insisted sitting next to her at Closing Ceremony [at 1992 Games]. Also asked her to join her table at IAAF dinner. With care and right attitude she may well support Sydney.”

Rosenbrock: “Get on very well. Has passed on her beauty secrets to me . . . Flor ‘loves men’ especially good-looking attentive ones. They ‘keep her young.’ ”

RAMPAUL RUHEE, MAURITIUS

Coles: “He insists on me visiting him in Mauritius (‘. . . the rules!’--his words).”

Rosenbrock: “Have not spoken of Salt Lake but I believe he would have a good rapport with America and Americans and probably voted for Atlanta. European ways would be a little formal for him.”

BASHIR MOHAMED ATTARABULSI, LIBYA

Coles: “Has a friend in Canada who thinks he may assist Sydney. We should investigate . . . He needs visa for Bangkok and Singapore on way to Sydney or again on way home . . . Visa for a Libyan citizen is difficult--as you would imagine!!”

The IOC, of course, is apoplectic--although, on the record, most of the anger has been directed at Knight for making these dirty little secrets public.

“If we are to condemn Phil Coles for giving information on IOC members, then I think it must be the same for Mr. Knight that he made it public,” IOC Vice President Pal Schmitt said last week.

“Either we blame the two or we forget the whole issue.”

Coles, facing possible expulsion from the IOC next month when the group rules on his case, said he was “appalled to find crucial evidence distributed everywhere . . . It either makes it harder [to get a fair hearing] or they might abort the whole thing.”

At this point, that’s the best--and perhaps only--chance Coles has left.