Boxing scandal in Rio 2016: tampering with results and bribed parties

A large-scale investigation into the conduct of the Rio de Janeiro Olympic boxing tournament in 2016 has revealed seven and possibly ten matches that could be labeled as suspicious.

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According to the British newspaper The Guardian there is probably, among other things, cheating with the fight that Michael Conlan fought at the time. The Irishman lost in the quarterfinals of the bantamweight in a dubious manner to the Russian Vladimir Nikitin. The jury was divided, the decision highly controversial. Conlan would later be reprimanded by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for betting on Olympic boxing matches.

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More details are expected on Thursday, when Richard McLaren gives a press conference in Lausanne about his team’s initial findings. He also led the investigation into allegations about Russia’s state-sponsored doping program. McLaren and his associates spent three months mapping malpractices by potentially corrupt amateur boxing referees. The international federation AIBA had requested this.

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Also read:
• IOC reprimands three boxers for gambling in Rio

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Rumors that there was something wrong with the boxing tournament in Rio were already circulating before the first punch was placed in the ring. The Guardian was told at the time that “some parties would be corrupted beyond a shadow of a doubt.” Horrified insiders said that among the officials there were schemers who had the power to manipulate the jury system in such a way that the winner was pre-determined.

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