The "controversial decision" to award the 2021 World Athletics Championships to Eugene, Oregon, is reportedly being investigated by the FBI and the IRS' criminal division, according to Daly & McKay of the BBC. The U.S. city was awarded the event in '15, with the IAAF "bypassing the usual formal bidding process." French prosecutors investigating corruption within the IAAF "launched their own inquiry" into the awarding of the event in '15. Former IAAF President Lamine Diack, who is now "effectively under house arrest in France over corruption allegations," was at the center of the decision. Eugene, which is closely associated with Nike, was handed the event "despite strong interest" from Gothenburg, Sweden. The brand, whose birthplace "is only a few miles away," funds "much of the University of Oregon's sports facilities," where many of the Eugene 2021 events will be held. A BBC story in Nov. '15 suggested that IAAF President Sebastian Coe "may have lobbied his predecessor over the bid, and revealed he had discussed it" with a senior Nike exec. The American authorities want to know "if there has been any wrongdoing committed in the U.S." A spokesperson for the IAAF and Coe said she "was unaware of any FBI or IRS probes." The agencies have "yet to respond" to queries (BBC, 6/28).
