Photo: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty
A number of fights at the 2016 Rio Olympics are now under question after an independent investigation found judges and referees worked together to fix matches.
“Key personnel decided that the rules did not apply to them,” McLaren said at a news conference in Switzerland, adding that there was a “culture of fear, intimidation and obedience in the ranks of the referees and judges.”
“That’s counting the ones that we know were manipulated, problem bouts or suspicious bouts,” McLaren said.
McLaren said the “informal structure” of AIBA allowed for “complicit and compliant referees and judges … to be assigned to specific bouts to ensure the manipulation of outcomes.”
Referees and judges were told who should win a fight on the morning of the match, according to the investigation found. McLaren was unable to identify who was controlling the scheme.
There were rumors of corruption heading into the 2016 Olympics. Boxer Michael Conlan of Ireland had heard organizers were fixing the match for his opponent, Russian Vladimir Nikitin, according toESPN.
source: people.com
