[Better late than never, just found this clipping on the “interesting” bidding process for the IAAF world championships. kk]
Brisbane disillusioned with IAAF process
Sean Parnell
March 29, 2007
AUSTRALIA will not host the World Athletics Championships for at least a decade after the sport’s governing body rejected a strong bid from Brisbane.
Having spent at least $3 million on its bid to host the event in either 2011 or 2013, and travelling to Kenya to make its case, the Brisbane bid team left a meeting of the International Association of Athletics Federations disappointed and disillusioned.
Daegu in South Korea comprehensively beat Brisbane in the race to the 2011 event, while Moscow in Russia won the 2013 event, benefiting from the need to return the event to Europe to gain television funding.
But the last days of lobbying and the final bids made by the winning cities put a cloud over the process.
Moscow hired Papa Diack, the son of the IAAF President Lamine Diack, as a consultant, and promised $US70 million ($A87.5 million) in sponsorship for the IAAF, along with lucrative travel packages for IAAF members.
Daegu - which put forward a strong presentation which appeared to be on par with Brisbane’s - also offered sponsorship but would not disclose the amount, despite speculation of significant private sector support.
Brisbane bid team chaiman Des Power said the IAAF, which for the first time openly asked the cities to come up with added incentives, had invited “clandestine payments” and could be seen to be inviting bribes.
Mr Power, the head of Queensland Events, said other major sporting events had rights fees which standardised the cash payments required and left no doubts as to the criteria used to choose a host.
“That’s how the governing bodies of sport fund themselves, we have no problem with that, that’s how they reinvest in the sport, but this obscure thing called incentive is very confusing and leaves itself open to criticism,” Mr Power said.
“It is the very mechanism that could tarnish the image of athletics, and that would be a great shame.”
While Queensland Premier Peter Beattie vowed to bid again for the 2015 event, Brisbane would face additional challenges, with a new council and a push from some countries to have the event hosted in the United States.
Even Mr Beattie could not hide his frustration at the lack of transparency in the bidding and voting process.
“If it was based on merits, I think we would have done very well and could have won,” Mr Beattie said, before leaving Kenya for the United Kingdom on the last leg of a two-week trade mission.
Athletics Australia president Rob Fildes said Brisbane put in an excellent bid without knowing what the other cities would be allowed to offer and what the IAAF would consider.
““We knew all along that there were financial incentives that were going to be offered that were stronger than we were able to offer,” Mr Fildes said.
“What we didn’t understand was how that process worked.”
Lamine Diack refused to speak to The Australian and the IAAF cancelled the media conference scheduled for after the announcement.