Naming and shaming! This cross-post from the investigative platform Josimar examines Infantino's FIFA empire: media manipulation, obstruction of journalistic work and widespread propaganda. As documented in this newsletter, these mechanisms apply to the Olympic world and, at its core, to the IOC.
An open letter addressed to IOC President Kirsty Coventry and the leadership of the Fédération Internationale d'Escrime has been signed by 2,981 people from at least 94 countries. Never before has a community within an Olympic IF mounted resistance and a demand for accountability of this scale.
Off the record, fencers and officials complain; publicly, they claim resistance is "too risky". Two YouTubers exposing the sport's existential crisis challenge this culture of cowardly indifference. Marius Dobel-Ober issues a rallying cry: there is no neutral ground when dealing with autocrats.
Change in IOC’s administration is set to begin with a SharePoint site and joint morning coffee catchups: unsettled staff can ask any questions they like, says the IOC President. During a video meeting attended by almost 600 employees, Coventry warned against negativity, rumours and silo thinking.
EXCLUSIVE: Why did the Greek Emmanuel Katsiadakis unexpectedly resign as interim president of the Fédération Internationale d'Escrime (FIE) in April 2025? Read the answer here: because he refused to send a letter to US President Trump asking for the sanctions against Alisher Usmanov to be lifted.
Why the Algerian is allowed to lead ANOCA and remain an IOC member despite his history of scandals and allegations of corruption has been an unresolved question for many years. What does Berraf have on IOC leaders? Now, allegations of sexual harassment are being made again in the ANOCA sphere.
What I outlined in Thursday's newsletter has been confirmed by CAS' Ad Hoc Division: Denis Oswald made the decision on Wednesday on behalf of the IOC Disciplinary Commission. The IBSF jury was instructed to act in accordance with IOC guidelines. The next day, the IOC pulled off its deception again.
Once again, CAS acted in accordance with the wishes of the IOC. The press release on the arbitration ruling reads as if it were written by IOC's propaganda department – no deviations from IOC positions. Questions on the proceedings and the lack of transparency of IBSF and IOC remain unanswered.
The disqualification of Ukrainian Vladyslav Heraskevych becomes the biggest political issue of the 2026 Winter Olympics – with unforeseen consequences for the IOC and its president, Kirsty Coventry, who are attempting to rectify the situation with propaganda measures. Details on the opaque process.
The Pentathlon Union managed to delay the arbitration process indefinitely, the appeal lodged by Sharif El Erian was now dismissed. The Egyptian had a majority of 51:50 in the second round of voting at the 2024 congress in Riyadh, but the highly controversial American Robert Stull became president.
At the FIE congress in Manama on Saturday, a Mexican fencing federation (FME) is to be expelled and replaced by another so-called Mexican federation (ADNEM). Everything has been prepared well in advance. This is no small matter – the trail leads to Uzbekistan in the Russian hemisphere.
Once again, the International Olympic Committee passed some resolution on good governance without really acting in accordance with these propagated standards.
The gathering in Wollongong resembled the worst congresses we have seen in recent decades in terms of serious corruption cases (FIFA, FIVB, IWF et al). Investigation attempts were rigorously suppressed. Only SIX national federations worldwide are on the side of those seeking clarification.
For a quarter of a century, the scandal-ridden Pharaoh Hassan Moustafa has ruled world handball and, now in his ninth decade and marked by illness, wants to be crowned IHF president again in Cairo shortly before Christmas. Three opponents want to prevent this.
Danish president Mads Freund is calling on the World Triathlon Congress in October to conduct an independent forensic investigation into the corrupt 2024 elections and to remove corrupt officials. The triathlon mafia "The Group" is fighting back and wants Freund removed.
As minutes suggest, senior IOC member Ser Miang Ng, who is also Honorary Chairman of World Taekwondo's Kukkiwon, has obviously been campaigning for Virtual Taekwondo, a game developed by his children's companies – with the aim of it being included in the Olympic Esports Games and other events.
