An Associated Press story quotes IOC member Dick Pound of Montreal saying that China’s human rights history is the lone potential stumbling block to the 2008 Summer Games.
In the article, Pound says “The big issue is whether or not we’re ready to go to China. Is it time to go to China or do we go to one of the other four very qualified cities? I think you could put your hand in a jar and draw out any one of the five and be satisfied, with more or less work.”
He told a Sport Summit in New York that human rights is “going to be THE issue, I think, in this election. Is it China’s time or not? If it is, it is. If it’s not, then you have four other very good fallbacks”.
But Pound later told the Toronto Star he never said the Games were China’s to lose. “Absolutely not. Suicidal I may be, but not that suicidal” he said. He also said he didn’t indicate that all China had to worry about was the human rights issue.
“The (IOC) evaluation commission will visit Beijing next month and they have to pass muster on a number of issues, just as the othr cities do”.
In the Star interview Pound never mentioned Toronto’s campaign for the Games. He said, “I think you have to be even-handed in these things”.
According to the Star, some observers feel Pound’s public comments reflect his desire to take over the IOC presidency from Juan Antonio Samaranch. China is a big power in the IOC, and the theory in some circles is that Pound doesn’t want to offend the Chinese by overtly campaigning for Toronto, says the Star.
Some IOC watchers also feel Canada can’t win both the 2008 Games and the IOC presidency and that Pound’s political ambitions would be best served by a Toronto loss.
Bob Richardson, TO-Bid chief operating officer, told the Star “I think those are simply the comments of an individual member of the IOC. I don’t interpret that as him favouring one city or another. Dick’s been scrupulous about that.
Besides, the Olympic road is littered with sure bets that didn’t win at the end of the day,” said Richardson.
