You'll have to forgive me for tooting my own horn. Facts are facts. Even though we're dealing with professional truth-twisters and liars like the IOC, Donald Trump and other such villains, we're not (yet) living in a post-truth era.
Journalism matters. Real journalism, not imitations of journalism that merely parrot press releases and spread unverified propaganda. Journalistic products are verifiable, by the way; you can check at any time who reported what and when. It's fantastic because research and in-depth knowledge of the Olympic movement characterise these newsletters – and that's why their readership is growing. And that's why these newsletters reach more decision-makers in the Olympic world directly within seconds and minutes than many of the biggest media outlets could. If only you knew.
In last Thursday's newsletter (12 February 2026), I outlined that at the Olympic Games (and not only at such high-profile events that made headlines worldwide), the IOC has sole authority: in accordance with the Olympic Charter, the IOC Executive Board delegates its power in such cases to the (permanent) Disciplinary Commission. Its Permanent Chair for the past decade has been Swiss pensioner Denis Oswald, who will remain an IOC member until December 31, 2027, when he has to leave at the age of 80.
Denis Oswald already played the role of villain behind the scenes in the case of Afghan breakdancer Manizha Talash at the 2024 Summer Games in Paris. He disqualified Talash, who had displayed a light blue cape with the words ‘Free Afghan Women’ during the competition, without a hearing. He made the decision alone because he could. He saw no reason to involve other members of his commission (whose names, incidentally, the IOC does not publish anywhere on its website, but feel free to correct me).
I surprised Oswald with a phone call at the time, and he confirmed the events to me; at least he didn't lie.
I can't remember any other media outlet in Paris at the time reporting anything other than what the IOC propaganda had planned.
This was my report:
Jens Weinreich
Allegedly, the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) had imposed the ban on Talash.
In fact, the respective Olympic federation acts on the orders of the IOC – in this case, a permanent Disciplinary Commission that is extremely questionable, with a pensioner who is no longer in full possession of his faculties, and which operates in a virtually lawless space with a complete lack of transparency.
This is exactly what happened in Cortina in the case of Ukrainian Vladyslav Heraskevych.
This is evident from the arbitration award of the Ad Hoc Division (sole arbitrator: Annett Rombach from Frankfurt am Main) published quietly this evening on the website of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Exactly as I outlined in this newsletter on 12 February.
A world exclusive, so to speak.
If that's not a reason to finally subscribe, what is?
It happens all the time that you get to hear about certain stories and documents here in this theatre, exclusively worldwide. Whether it was about the toxic atmosphere in the IOC administration, the IOC and the Epstein files, a Russian Olympic athlete in the Epstein Files, the purchase price paid by the IOC for the Riefenstahl films, Trump's dubious Olympic ambassador (in Epstein Files too) ... constantly exclusive, and for years.
The IOC is currently feeling this on internal issues as well, and to the thousand-strong IOC staff, who have apparently studied my newsletters from the past few weeks in their entirety, I can say: it's continuing, so get in touch if you're interested in no longer having to be ashamed of your employer.
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What we finally learn from the written CAS decision is what I outlined last Thursday:
The decision against Vladyslav Heraskevych had therefore been made long BEFORE Kirsty Coventry met with the Ukrainian.
I outlined this to you shortly afterwards, referring, among other things, to the metadata of the IBSF jury's decision.
The IOC mentioned the disciplinary commission only once, a few hours later. And it was in this context: the gracious IOC President Coventry approached the totally independent permanent boss of the totally independent disciplinary commission with a request that Heraskevych be allowed to keep his accreditation or that it be returned to him.
What a hypocritical show.
Shameful.
Dishonest.
Wrong.
Unworthy.
