'I made no mistakes'
Samaranch faces IOC vote of confidence in March
Posted: Wednesday January 27, 1999 09:24 AM
| |
Samaranch has rejected any thoughts of resigning AP |
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) -- Juan Antonio Samaranch, saying his
successor as IOC president should be a paid professional, again
rejected any thought of resigning in the wake of the IOC bribery
scandal.
"I made no mistakes," Samaranch told the German weekly Die
Zeit in an interview published Wednesday.
Samaranch said he had no doubt that he would win the vote of
confidence he faces in March at an extraordinary IOC assembly.
The 78-year-old Spaniard is due to step down in two years
because of the age limit.
His successor should be a paid professional and the IOC in
future should be open more to Olympic athletes, Samaranch told the
weekly.
Some of those athletes on Wednesday joined the chorus demanding
Samaranch's resignation.
"Some gentlemen are too old for the job," said Germany's world
champion swimmer Sandra Voelker. "It begins with Juan Antonio
Samaranch. I think he is not adequate for president any more."
But Helmut Digel, president of the German Athletics Federation
and a vice president of the National Olympic Committee, defended
Samaranch.
"There are no proven accusations against him. Like anybody
else, Mr. Samaranch has the right to remain innocent until proven
guilty," Digel said.
Digel said the future venues of Olympic Games should be chosen
by a committee of experts in a non-secret ballot, and their
decision should be publicly explained.
Manfred von Richthofen, president of the German Sports
Federation, said the Olympic host cities should be picked by an
independent agency.
Lrs Riedel, Germany's discus Olympic champion, had a different
suggestion.
"I would spread the Games over three or four cities. Then this
undignified theater would come to a quick end," Riedel said.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
| 
