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Coles fired SOCOG ousts Australia IOC member as torch relay chief
Posted: Thursday April 01, 1999 11:08 AM
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- Defiant Australian IOC member Phil Coles was sacked Thursday from his high-profile role as the chief of the Sydney 2000 Olympics torch relay. Coles, who stood aside from the Sydney games organizing board (SOCOG) while under investigation by the IOC on two separate charges, did not attend today's board meeting. In his absence, the SOCOG board voted to replace him with Anna Booth as chair of the torch relay committee. "It's the worst possible hit I could have had. All I wanted to do was contribute to the games being a success, and particularly the torch relay," Coles said. "Apparently everyone knew this was one way of hurting me, and I must say they've been successful." The move, sparked by SOCOG president Michael Knight, turned the heat on Coles, who has defied calls for his resignation by several board members. Under IOC rules, Coles cannot be sacked from SOCOG's board while he remains an IOC member. Knight said Coles informed him Sunday that he wanted to return to SOCOG if cleared by the IOC. "I made it clear to Phil that I thought it was in his best interests not to continue on the board and he made it clear to me that he intended to continue," Knight said. Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates said he and Coles' fellow IOC member, Kevan Gosper, abstained from today's vote. Coles said he was disappointed that Coates and Gosper were not more supportive in the board meeting. "I'm unhappy for Phil, I just didn't involve myself today," Coates said. "It involved someone I've worked with for a long time, and in Kevan's case, as he said, it involved an Olympic colleague." Coles received a severe censure from the IOC for accepting excessive hospitality from Salt Lake City's bid for the 2002 Winter Games. He is being further investigated for allegedly receiving expensive jewelry from a Greek businessman associated to Athens' failed bid to host the 1996 Summer Games. Coles has denied the jewelry allegations, raised by his former wife Georgina Coles. Knight said he feared the bad publicity surrounding Coles could affect the success of the nationwide torch relay. Others, including major Olympic sponsor John Hancock Insurance, have voiced concerns that the publicity could harm ticket sales and a sponsorship drive.
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