Melbourne admits impropriety in bid
Posted: Wednesday January 20, 1999 11:54 AM
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- Melbourne's bid committee for the
1996 Olympics arranged for an International Olympic Committee
delegate's daughter to play with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
(MSO), a bid member said Wednesday.
Shane Maloney, who was the committee's cultural events
organizer, also said he collected a 15,000 Australian dollar (US$9,600) Aboriginal dot painting for a European museum after a
suggestion from IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch.
Maloney did not elaborate on the Samaranch suggestion.
Maloney told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio Wednesday that
the woman was the daughter of a South Korean delegate the committee
wanted to impress.
"It wasn't an accident at all, she was invited at our prompting
by the MSO," Maloney said.
"A capacity crowd turned up for a relatively little-known
artist so that her father woul appreciate the extent to which
Melbourne liked the work of her daughter."
Melbourne lost the games to Atlanta.
Committee member Ron Casey said there had been rumors about
Atlanta's bid.
"We heard rumors about Atlanta, the same sort of rumors that
surfaced about Salt Lake City, about certain IOC children and
grandchildren," Casey said.
"But I think as far as Melbourne was concerned there were a
couple of little rumbles but I don't think there was anything
serious in that area.
"When you get 96 IOC members ranging from all nationalities and
personalities, you do have a range of people ranging from the very
top -- stylish to good type of person -- to all sorts of
characters."
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