Rings for Lords

The Lords of the Rings, a must-read investigation into the secret world of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), reveals how it became a refuge for crooks, spooks, and fascists fleeing from discredited regimes. Translated into 13 languages, this book has become a global media sensation, ranking as one of the Top One Hundred Sports Books of all Time by Sports Illustrated.

The revelations in this book outraged the then-IOC president, Juan Antonio Samaranch, as it uncovered his 37-year-history of fascist activities in Franco's Spain, including jackbooting and right-arm saluting. In response, Samaranch had the authors' phones hacked and persuaded a Swiss court to impose suspended jail sentences on them. The 'F-word' – fascism – is a taboo topic in Olympic circles, with officials, sponsors, and sports reporters reluctant to acknowledge the contradictions of an organization that claims to represent the aspirations of young people, yet continues to honour its former leader whose life was dedicated to delivering sport for a repugnant dictatorship, later privatized to serve the needs of global brands.

The result of years of investigations by award-winning corruption specialists, 'Lords' reveals how positive drugs tests were concealed so that the Olympic Games could be sold as 'clean' to sponsors, rebranded as 'partners,' while heavily doped male and female athletes were changing sex. The book also uncovers the beginnings of the gigantic ISL marketing contracts scandal and the $100 million worth of bribes and kickbacks paid to sports officials. Honest IOC members were persuaded to disclose how one close ally of Samaranch was 'elected' to the IOC by 13 votes to 10, with 60 abstentions.

This classic of iconoclastic journalism, first published in 1992, foreshadowed the Salt Lake City cash-and-sex for votes scandal that convulsed the Olympic world. An essential read for sports fans, the book has been long-listed as mandatory reading for sports and journalism students.

On the eve of the London 2012 Olympics, this investigation into the secret world of the IOC has become a global media sensation, shedding light on the organization's dark history and the contradictions it continues to uphold. The book's revelations have outraged the IOC's leadership, leading to attempts to silence the authors, but the truth remains undeniable: the IOC has become a refuge for those fleeing discredited regimes, and its commitment to the aspirations of young people is often overshadowed by its ties to corruption and fascism.

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