SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- Ireland's Kevin O'Flanagan and Denmark's Niels Holst-Sorensen became the latest International Olympic Committee members to be accused of breaking its rules, when a report into Sydney's successful bid for the 2000 Games was released Monday.
Independent auditor Tom Sheridan found Sydney's bid effort guilty of "numerous breaches" of guidelines but found no evidence of corruption or bribery.He criticized the IOC's rules governing bids, saying they were "unworkable and have fallen into disrepute and are almost completely ignored by candidate cities."
Although Sheridan outlined the lavish hospitality and gift giving that won Sydney the bid, SOCOG president Michael Knight said the report showed there was "no comparison between what occurred in Salt Lake City and what Sydney did to win the 2000 Games."
Sheridan found Danish IOC delegate Niels Holst-Sorensen and his wife traveled from Copenhagen to Paris to watch the 1993 French Open tennis final at the invitation of Australian IOC official and bid team member Phil Coles. Their air travel and "associated expenses" were paid for by Sydney's bid.
Holst-Sorensen said the trip was given to him by Coles but he did not believe it broke IOC regulations.