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Toxic climate in parts of the IOC administration: ‘cultural pattern of fear and retaliation’

EXCLUSIVE: Following internal investigations, IOC director Marie Sallois has been relieved of her duties, but strangely enough, she is now coordinating president Coventry's ‘Fit for the Future’ project. Who is protecting her? Employees report similar problems in other IOC directorates.

,   and  Jens Weinreich
11 min read
On 7 April 2025, upon the arrival of the new president, the IOC heralds wrote: ‘President-elect Kirsty Coventry warmly received by IOC staff at Olympic House’. (Photo: Greg Martin / IOC)

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SPORT & POLITICSJens Weinreich

It is 5 January 2026. At the Olympic House in Lausanne, an email arrives at the inboxes of employees that at first glance looks like a routine personnel announcement. Christophe De Kepper, the powerful Director General of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), provides information about Marie Sallois, long-time Director of Corporate and Sustainable Development (CSD). The work of this department has long played a central role in IOC propaganda.

Some may describe the wording of this email as a masterpiece of Olympic diplomacy – for quite a few employees at IOC headquarters, however, the letter is a lesson in obfuscation. It is yet another disappointment after a long, gruelling process that has led to numerous burnouts and resignations in a ‘culture of fear’, ‘psychological violence and emotional manipulation’.

De Kepper writes:

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