IOC member and former WADA President Dick Pound "poured scorn on the idea that Russia could get away with paying a fine to gain admission to next year's Winter Olympics." A report last week said that the IOC and Russia had agreed to terms of the fine which would be announced prior to PyeongChang 2018 to allow Russia to compete. The IOC said that the report was "pure speculation" and Pound said that his organization "would lose any credibility if it accepted such a deal" (London DAILY MAIL, 8/12).
The Silver Medals Russian sprinter Tatyana Firova won at the Beijing and London Olympics are stored in a safe in her apartment "in defiance of" the IOC, which has "wanted them back for months." Firova is one of six athletes who have "yet to return Olympic medals and diplomas from the Beijing and London Games" that were revoked over the last year (REUTERS, 8/11).
FIFA President Gianni Infantino and IAAF President Sebastian Coe have not been nominated for appointment to the IOC when the IOC session "votes in new members in September." Infantino and Coe were "passed over for a second year running as they battle doping and corruption scandals in their fields." Previous FIFA and IAAF presidents had seats at the IOC table "for decades" (REUTERS, 8/11).
The L.A. City Council on Friday voted unanimously to authorize the city to sign a contract with the IOC to host the 2028 Summer Games. The contract gives the city a "greater share of any financial surplus from the Games" and includes an IOC contribution of $2B but also leaves L.A. to "cover any cost overruns" associated with the $5.3B event (REUTERS, 8/11).
A Brazilian court agreed to hear charges of "administrative impropriety" filed against former Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes in connection with the construction of the 2016 Olympic golf course. Prosecutors alleged that the former mayor helped the company that built the R$60M course "avoid paying fees," which has caused the city to lose more than $4M ($1.25M) (BLOOMBERG, 8/10).
