IOC Probes Black Market London Ticket Sales

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has begun investigations into allegations that some national Olympic committee officials and authorized ticket resellers violated its rules on ticket sales for the 2012 London Games.

“After claims that several NOCs and ATRs were reportedly willing to break the rules by offering to buy or sell tickets outside their territory, allergy sell tickets at inflated prices, arthritis or sell tickets to unauthorized resellers, pills the IOC has ordered an immediate inquiry and referred the allegations to its independent Ethics Commission,” IOC spokesman Mark Adams said.

The move stemmed from a report by British newspaper The Sunday Times, claiming that agents and officials representing 54 countries ignored guidelines surrounding the sale of tickets to Olympic events, some offering to sell tickets up to 10 times their value and on black markets.

“The IOC takes these allegations very seriously and has immediately taken the first steps to investigate. Should any irregularities be proven, the organization will deal with those involved in an appropriate manner. The NOCs are autonomous organizations, but if any of the cases are confirmed the IOC will not hesitate to impose the strongest sanctions,” Adams further said.

Adams added that the IOC investigation will be used to improve the way that tickets are allocated and sold internationally in the future.

Leading into the 2012 Games, IOC officials distributed tickets to NOCs based on demand in their respective countries and have specific sets of rules regarding how the national committees are to then distribute them within their own countries.

The Times alleged that officials and agents violated IOC guidelines by selling tickets outside of their assigned territories, sold tickets at inflated prices or sold tickets to unauthorized retailers on black markets.

It also alleged that ATRs were the tickets to the men’s 100-meters final and other especially popular events.

The paper also reported that Greek Olympic Committee president Spyros Capralos had “pulled strings” with London organizing chairman Sebastian Coe to obtain an extra batch of premium tickets for official agents in Greece.

The allegations supported a BBC News report last month that Volodymyr Gerashchenko of Ukraine’s National Olympic Committee, had told an undercover reporter that he was prepared to sell tickets. He resigned after the report.

The television report alleged that Greg Haney, a former United States Olympic Committee official who now works at a travel company, told reporters how to hide an illegal ticket deal.