Sports lawyer McLaren found out, among other things, that ring and point judges learned on the morning of a fight day who should win.
Under the leadership of the well-known sports lawyer Richard McLaren, a commission of inquiry has confirmed manipulations at the boxing tournament of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. The Canadian announced this at a press conference on Thursday. “Critics had decided that rules didn't apply to them. There was an atmosphere of fear, intimidation and obedience among referees and judges,” said McLaren.
The people in question are no longer active. According to the lawyer, the referees and judges would have been told the morning before a fight day who should win a fight. McLaren admitted to ultimately not having found out who was the source of the manipulation.
The world boxing association AIBA described the results of McLaren in a communication as worrying and referred to reforms that have already been initiated. “Professor McLaren and his team have disclosed a system that has been used to manipulate the results of fights in Rio. I am committed to ensuring that boxers get a fair fight,” said AIBA President Umar Kremlew, who has been in office since 2020, referring to the desired transparency of the association. “AIBA hired Professor McLaren because they have nothing to hide.”
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognized the AIBA's will to reform in mid-September, but criticized a serious discrepancy in implementation. Specifically, the IOC named the points leadership, finances and judges.
McLaren, known for the 2016 McLaren Report on systematic state doping in Russia, named after him, was hired by the AIBA to investigate allegations of corruption and manipulation in relation to the Rio Games. There had been several controversial referee decisions there. The AIBA was suspended by the IOC in May 2019. The qualification and implementation of the tournament at the Tokyo Summer Games were organized by an IOC task force.
