In Toronto, Baglole & Starkman report that Magna Int'l
Chair Frank Stronach "has paid the expenses for a
delegation" of Canadian Olympians to travel to Switzerland
this week to announce the formation of an "athletes' council
committed to restoring the tarnished Olympic spirit." A
source added that Magna has pledged an additional C$100,000
to "help the new council get off the ground." The
delegation is headed by Canadian gold-medal winner Mark
Tewksbury (TORONTO STAR, 3/16). The proposed int'l
organization is "to be called OATH -- Olympic Athletes
Together Honourably" (TORONTO SUN, 3/16).
In CO Springs, Lynn Zinser reports that Samaranch is
"privately ... furious at the USOC for its vehement calls
for reform," especially in the USOC-commissioned Mitchell
report. USOC Exec Dir Dick Schultz: "Obviously, we knew
they didn't like the Mitchell report, especially about the
culture of gift-giving. But my feeling is there must be
something else going on" (CO Springs GAZETTE, 3/16).
...BRANDWEEK's Terry Lefton: "To say the U.S. Olympic
Committee is chafing under the verbal assaults of John
Hancock's David D'Alessandro is putting it mildly." One
insider said, "His hotel for the Salt Lake Olympics may end
up being located in Wyoming" (BRANDWEEK, 3/15 issue)....The
DESERET NEWS' Jerry Spangler wrote that the UT Travel
Council has seen an increase in calls since the Salt Lake
bribery scandal. The council had "logged about" 600 calls
per week prior to the scandal, but averaged about 1,200
calls a week in January and February (DESERET NEWS, 3/15).
