Olympic Newsdesk -- South Korea IOC Member Pardoned; Gold Medalist Jailed for Attempted Murder

IOC Member Wins Pardon to Help PyeongChang Bid

Senior South Korea IOC member Kun Hee Lee wins a pardon on corporate corruption charges so that he can play a part in the bid from PyeongChang for the 2018 Winter Olympics.

South Korea President Myung Bak Lee issued the decree Tuesday, wiping away a three-year prison sentence Lee received this year for tax evasion and embezzlement. Lee said he was issuing the pardon so that Lee might have the chance to help the South Korea campaign for the Winter Games.

Lee, 67, has been suspended from the IOC for more than a year while facing his legal woes. The case is being followed by the IOC Ethics Commission which based on past instances, could issue a final report that recommends restoration of Lee’s status as a voting member of the IOC.

Without a pardon, Lee might have faced expulsion from the IOC.

The former chairman of Samsung, Lee resigned that post in 2008 following his conviction, a ruling upheld earlier this year by the South Korean Supreme Court. Samsung is one of the worldwide sponsors of the Olympic Games.

Civic watchdog groups are criticizing the pardon, saying it shows government favoritism towards big business.

“The latest pardon reconfirms a common saying in South Korea that Samsung lies above the law and the government,” the New York Times quotes Sang Jo Kim, an economist and leader of a group called Solidarity for Economic Reform.

“President Lee talked about national interest, but a criminal convict traveling around the world campaigning for South Korea’s Olympic bid will only hurt our national interest and image,” the paper quotes Kim.

PyeongChang is in the early stage of a third bid for Winter Olympics, losing the races for the 2010 and 2014 Games by narrow margins.

Gold Medalist Jailed for Attempted Murder

Four-time gold medalist in ski jumping, Matti Nykanen, was released from jail after attempting to murder his wife.

Nykanen, who competed at the 1988 and 1984 Winter Olympics for Finland, allegedly tried to stab and strangle his wife Mervi Tapola.

''The motive has not yet been established,'' a police statement said. ''The suspect has denied the act, but cannot exactly explain how the victim's wounds occurred. Police have given the suspect a temporary restraining order.''

He was released from jail after charges for manslaughter were dropped, however he could still be charged with assault.

Nykanen spent time in prison three years ago for assaulting his wife.

Tiger Woods Disappointed Jacques Rogge

The news of Tiger Woods’ infidelity to his wife disappointed IOC president Jacques Rogge.

Speaking to Spanish daily El Pais, the Belgian Rogge said over the weekend Woods’ story is "a disappointment... we call for our athletes to be a role model for youngsters and that is evidently not the case with Woods.

"An athlete of this level must realize that his personal life is indelibly linked to his professional life."

Woods campaigned for golf’s inclusion in the 2016 Olympics, lending his appearance to a promotional video used by the International Golf Federation.

While he was let down by Woods, Rogge did add the affair and the subsequent fallout "is not a worry for the IOC."

It was revealed last month that Woods had extramarital affairs with several women. Since then Woods, has put his woods away, suspending his professional golfing.

Briefs...

...A Dec. 30 special session of the Kuwaiti parliament to discuss legislation that will put Kuwaiti law in harmony with the Olympic Charter. The IOC set a deadline of the end of 2009 to have laws guaranteeing the NOC would be free from governmental interference. Current laws breach the Olympic Charter by allowing the government to interfere with elections of sports federations. Kuwait was nearly suspended from the Olympic Movement earlier in the year due to the lack of protection.

...The Olympic Council of Malaysia will draft a five year strategic plan. Local media quoted OCM secretary general, Datuk Sieh Kok Chi as saying the plan needs to focus on what is the OCM’s role and what national sports federations need from the organization. “We need to review our role and also what we have done thus far. Then we must set out our future plan and strategies on how do we get there. We must be specific in what we do and also have a monitoring system in place to ensure that we achieve our target.” The OCM will meet Jan. 23 to discuss the plan.

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Written by Ed Hula III.