Olympic Newsdesk - Austrian Olympic Committee Investigation; Isinbayeva Wins Award;

Possible Departure for Austrian Olympic Chief

The long time head of the Austrian Olympic Committee could be forced to step down after news of alleged financial mismanagement surfaced Wednesday.

Leo Wallner came under fire for questions about how $1.7 million of AOC money was allocated to Erwin Roth, a lobbyist for the failed Salzburg 2014 bid.

Austrian investigators have investigated Roth and Heinz Jungwirth, the disgraced former secretary general of the AOC and three others since February. Jungwirth was under investigation over financial mismanagement during his 25 year tenure as secretary general. He was the main target in the investigation but the net is apparently expanding to include Wallner.

The charges against Wallner, who has been president of the AOC for nearly 20 years, are that he failed to properly monitor the money’s use, when it was paid to Roth.

Roth said in Austrian media, that money was paid to his company but it was only used for legitimate purposes and he did not draw a salary from it.

Wallner for his part, also proclaimed innocence. He was quoted by the Associated Press as saying the charges from prosecutors were "gross deceptions". He admitted however, that he did not know about the large figure paid to Roth’s company. Wallner said he was aware that Roth was working for the bid and being paid by the AOC.

Jungwirth said on Wednesday he was innocent and that the payments to Roth were legitimate.

"It is absolutely unfair to say today that a lobbyist received more than a million euros -- that is nonsensical because he did not get it as remuneration," Jungwirth was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.

The Executive Committee of the AOC met on Monday to file a formal complaint against Jungwirth with regards to the alleged financial mismanagement.

Roth claims he has provided all relevant paperwork to the investigators and says he is innocent of wrong doing.

This is the latest chapter in an ongoing controversy over the 2014 Olympic bid. There has been heat from the government over accounting for money spent by the bid.

Isinbayeva Wins Award

Russian Olympic pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva was selected to receive Spain’s 2009 Prince of Asturias sports award for her dedication to being successful in the sport, according to a report in the Associated Press.

Isinbayeva, who set the 27th world record of her career in a meet in Zurich last week, was chosen “not just because of her exemplary life and work, but because she has set new ceilings in the battle to better oneself and contribute to the perfection, development and promotion of sport,” according to the prize organizers.

The sports award is one of eight Asturias prizes presented each year in a number of disciplines, such as the arts, sciences, international cooperation and communication.

Bolt-Gay Showdown Cancelled

The anticipated sprint rematch between Usain Bolt and Tyson Gay at the Van Damme Memorial meet in Brussels, Belgium on Friday, the last IAAF Golden League meet of the season, has fallen by the wayside.

Bolt is running the 200-meter dash in Brussels, while Gay told the Associated Press on Tuesday that he run only the 100 and will skip the 200 due to a lingering groin injury.

Bolt ran a world-record time of 9.58 to Gay’s 9.71 in the 100 at the world championships in Rome last month.

China Allows Girlfriend for Table Tennis Champ

Chinese table tennis officials have allowed world champion and two-time Olympic silver medalist Wang Hao to date former table tennis player Peng Luyang after having been prevented from dating other players due to a policy of the country’s sports system, according to a report in the China Daily on Wednesday.

China has had a policy of banning relationships between athletes until they reach a certain age. However, officials have determined that both players have reached the age limit.

“Both of them are old enough and it’s normal,” Peng’s coach, Qiao Yunping, is quoted as saying in the China Daily.

Wang began dating another female Chinese table tennis team member, Fan Ying, back in 2004, but team officials kicked Fan off the national squad as a result.

Written by Ed Hula III and Greg Oshust.