FBI investigates irregularities in 2021 World Athletics Championships hosting rights

Controversy erupted after Eugene, Oregon, was awarded the right to host the 2021 World Athletics Championships.

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) awarded the 2021 World Championships to the US city in April 2015, skipping the usual formal bidding process. Eugene won by a landslide 23-1 vote from IAAF delegates.

The IAAF is headquartered in Monaco, so French prosecutors are also investigating allegations of corruption within the IAAF, related to the process of awarding the 2021 world athletics event to the city of Eugene.

Hayward Field, Eugene is considered the headquarters of American athletics, as it regularly organizes events to select athletes for the US team to participate in international competitions.

Former IAAF president Lamine Diack is at the centre of the scandal that led to the controversial decision. The former official is currently under house arrest in France on corruption charges.

Eugene is expected to easily win the right to host the 2021 World Athletics Championships, despite the city of Gothenburg (Sweden) also wanting to campaign for the right to organize this event.

The city of Eugene is suspected of being empowered by its close relationship with Nike, a multinational corporation headquartered in Beaverton, also in Oregon. Nike sponsors most of the athletic facilities at the University of Oregon, which will host many events at the 2021 World Athletics Championships (Eugene 2021).

The BBC has suggested that the current IAAF President, Lord Coe, may have influenced his predecessor in awarding Eugene the hosting rights. Coe has also admitted that he discussed the 2021 Championships with Nike's CEO.

At the time, in 2015, Lord Coe was paid nearly $130,000 a year as a Nike ambassador. But the British sports official has recently denied allegations that he was representing Eugene’s bid.

Cole's integrity was questioned by the IAAF for awarding the hosting rights to Eugene, even though he was not yet president of the organization at the time.

However, Coe was forced to step down as Nike Ambassador in late November 2015, after 38 years of association with the American sportswear giant. At the time, he explained that the conflict of interest allegations were a “distraction” and “not good for Nike or the IAAF.” At the time, Coe had been IAAF President for about three months.

Gothenburg’s chief bidder, Bjorn Eriksson, said they had been denied the opportunity to mount a competitive campaign, stressing that the IAAF had “violated fair play”.

According to the BBC, US authorities, including tax investigators from the US Internal Revenue Service, are investigating whether there has been any wrongdoing involving US sports officials.

Thus, there are up to three agencies investigating corruption allegations at the IAAF, namely the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation), the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) and French prosecutors.

According to VnExpress.net