Since the Salt Lake City bribery scandal, the IOC has pushed hard for reforms. So it is to the surprise of many that South Korea’s Kim Un Yong– hardly a reformist–has emerged as a serious contender for Samaranch’s throne. Kim was the most prominent Olympic leader implicated in the Salt Lake City scandal.
But he is nonetheless a front-runner, having capitalized on his support for Third World athletic programs and benefited from a backlash against the United States (which, in the eyes of many IOC delegates, provoked the Salt Lake City scandal, then used its financial clout to force unwelcome changes on them). And Kim has pledged to reverse a new ban on delegate visits to cities bidding for the Olympics, thus reinstituting a valued perk.
That makes sponsors very skittish. IOC critics liken Kim’s policies to the days of nepotism and insularity, an embarrassment to sponsors that the IOC cannot afford. So, while candidates are forbidden from attacking each other, Samaranch has joined the fray, denouncing any plan to restore visits or intention to turn back the clock on reform. But his era is over in all but name, and his clout is finally waning. Kim seems well positioned to challenge for the top job. The IOC doesn’t appear to be in a similar position to avert what now looks like a very thorny transition.
