Bob Mathias

After the death of Avery Brundage as head of the IOC, the rot set in quicker than you can say “vermin.” Juan Antonio Samaranch allowed the Games to be politicized. Far worse, it’s rumored that he permitted such phony countries as the Gulf States to purchase athletes. (All Qatari runners look like Ethiopians and Kenyans, because they are, but they carry Qatari passports.) The Americans boycotted the Moscow Games because—just imagine—the Soviets had invaded Afghanistan! The 1984 Los Angeles Games were so commercial—ditto the Atlanta ones in 1996—they made a Moroccan bazaar owner red with shame.

The Athens Olympics bankrupted a country that saw ministers and entrepreneurs pass out construction contracts whose kickbacks would make an Indonesian blanch with envy. Fifteen billion big ones were spent—five percent of the country’s economy—with most of the stadiums now empty and unused, the moolah safely hidden away in the Cayman Islands. The IOC’s executive board, now headed by a Belgian who looks and acts like those faceless men of the Brussels Mafia who call themselves the EU, has now removed the ancient sport of wrestling. It’s a bit like removing kissing from the art of love.

Under the terrible Samaranch, who commercialized the games beyond recognition, silly games that one plays on the beach were brought into the Olympics. Made-up sports such as BMX bicycling, roller skating, rhythmic gymnastics, ping-pong, and synchronized swimming—things that belong in circuses—are secure while the oldest sport of all is about to go the way of sportsmanship and good manners. The son of Samaranch, also Juan Antonio, a man who is an Eagle Club member and competes in the Taki Cup each year, is a member of the executive board of the IOC and vice president of the modern pentathlon association, a sport where only 26 countries participated in the London Olympics last year. By contrast, wrestlers from 71 countries competed, resulting in wrestling medalists from 29 countries.

Libel laws prevent me from stating the obvious, or I’d suggest that bribes by Gulf States have IOC Executive Board members greasing their pockets. If Qatar and Abu Dhabi can bribe their way in football, you can imagine what they could do with hungry IOC executive members whose vote is secret. He and Samaranch Sr. ruined the games by their love of money. Samaranch Sr. is already in hell. His Belgian successor should do the honorable thing for the first time in his miserable life.