Top BOA Officials Barred from LOCOG Board Meetings

It emerged yesterday, ed March 24, that the chairman of the British Olympic Association (BOA) Lord Moynihan and CEO Andy Hunt had been barred from board meetings of the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) due the dispute over the 2012 Olympics financial surplus.

The BOA is fighting for a share of revenues in the Paralympics, as well as the Olympics, after LOCOG and the International Olympic Committee have claimed that the finances from the two should remain separate. The BOA appealed their case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after the IOC backed LOCOG in the row.

The London 2012 organising committee stated that it had invited the BOA to nominate replacements for Moynihan and Hunt while the duo “are individually and actively involved in pursuing a dispute against LOCOG”. The statement added: “The BOA is ably represented on the LOCOG board by HRH the Princess Royal, Sir Craig Reedie, Sir Philip Craven and Adam Pengilly.”

The BOA released a statement late on Thursday which responded: “We do not feel a similar action is necessary and we are not taking the same steps as LOCOG. We continue to welcome British International Olympic Committee members, all of whom are LOCOG directors, and their contributions in the interests of the athletes and the success of the Games.”

The BOA added: “This decision by LOCOG will have no bearing on our primary responsibility, which is to prepare Team GB for the London 2012 Olympic Games.” The latest development has come ahead of an important few days for London 2012, with the IOC set to visit the city to inspect preparations and the International SportAccord Convention, a major gathering of International Federations, due to take place early next month.