IOC
President Jacques Rogge talks exclusively to 91热爆 News 24聮s Hardtalk
In
an exclusive interview with 91热爆 News 24聮s Hardtalk (Wednesday
24 April, 10.30pm, 91热爆 News 24), IOC president Jacques Rogge says
that the International Olympic Committee has no plans to re-open
the Alain Baxter case.
He
tells Hardtalk聮s Tim Sebastian: "It聮s
extremely fair... because Baxter transgressed the rules... The rules
say that you shall have no methamphetamine in your body, he had
methamphetamine in his body, he has to be punished. We have to have
this rule to protect the athletes otherwise you open up Pandora聮s
Box. Every athlete will say, oh I had it by accident, oh I didn聮t
know, oh it was not on the label, oh my doctor prescribed it."
Pressed
on whether the IOC would consider re-opening the Baxter case and
whether they might listen to the British Olympic Association, Rogge
says: "No...
the case is now a normal appeal in front of the Court of Arbitration,
every athlete has the right to appeal, Baxter appealed and the court
will rule and we聮ll abide by the decision of the court."
On
the question of stripping medals from athletes who subsequently
failed drugs tests (see Notes to Editors below) Rogge says: "If
you ask me personally, would I have liked to strip the medals of
those athletes, yes... all of the medals."
Asked
why he hadn聮t stripped them of their medals, Rogge replies:
"Because
I cannot be led, like too many people, by emotions. I have to be
led by a sentiment of natural justice... I as a man and a lover
of sport would love to strip the medals because I consider these
athletes as not being true worthy Olympic champions."
Speaking
on human rights in China, Rogge tells Hardtalk: "I
said to the Chinese political leaders, the IOC urges you to improve
as much as possible human rights, as soon as possible... I have
said we will be in close contact with Amnesty International and
Human Rights Watch and the United Nations, and they will report
to us and tell us what they feel... The IOC is a responsible organisation,
be it in the field of human rights, be it in the field of just logistics
and delivering what is necessary to have good games, be it in the
field of human rights or any other major issue that would make the
games difficult or impossible for young athletes to participate
in, then we will act."
Notes
to Editors
This
refers to Johann Muehlegg, a German cross-country skier, who won
three gold medals only to have the third one stripped after he tested
positive to Darbepoetin. The committee was still able to discipline
him because of a clause banning endurance-boosting drugs. But he
still has the two gold medals he won earlier in the games because
he returned negative tests after those events. Two other athletes
tested positive to Darbepoetin (a similar substance to EPO, but
10 times more powerful) but were allowed to keep medals they had
won earlier in the games: Larissa Lazutina of Russia was expelled
after winning the Women聮s 30 Kilometre Ski but got to keep
the two previous medals she聮d won, as did Olga Danilova, who
had won a gold medal in the Women聮s Pursuit.
Please
credit 91热爆 News 24聮s Hardtalk if using any material contained
in this release.
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