The IOC has "emerged as the clear winner in a battle for influence" over int'l sports federations as rival organization SportAccord has been "left in tatters," according to Karolos Grohmann of REUTERS. A "rare public confrontation that began last month with a scathing attack" by SportAccord President Marius Vizer on the IOC has "essentially ended with the complete isolation of SportAccord," an umbrella organization for nearly 100 sports federations. Dozens of them, including most Olympic federations, "have either withdrawn their membership of SportAccord or made their opposition to Vizer's comments public, siding with the IOC." In an interview, Vizer, the head of the Int'l Judo Federation, "cried foul, accusing IOC President Thomas Bach of pulling federations' strings in the background." It is clear that Bach, elected in '13, has "emerged the big winner in this conflict against a potential competitor, who was eager to increase his control over federations." Federations are the "lifeline of the Olympics." They bring the big names to the Games, making them the IOC's "most valuable stakeholder." A "lack of top athletes would mean no top sponsors nor top broadcasting deals." An Olympics expert said, "I believe it was about making a point, about telling other potential threats and the world of sport that Bach and the IOC are in complete control. Pressure or no pressure, anyone out there planning to challenge the IOC will now have to think twice after seeing what happened to SportAccord" (REUTERS, 5/26).
