Austrian Jungwirth Breaks Silence over Resignation

The top Austrian Olympic Committee official forced to resign over a financial scandal tells Around the Rings he stepped down to prevent a split within the Austrian NOC and stop further damage to its reputation.

Heinz Jungwirth quit his post as secretary general of the AOC Sunday after weeks of controversy over allegations of mismanaged monies from the Salzburg bid. About $200,000 was reported to have disappeared in transactions between the AOC and a private firm signed up to assist in finding bid sponsors.

“When the Salzburg bid company was closed, the accounts showed an item on the books for a "loan" given to the "Foerderverein," which never actually transpired. No financial irregularity occurred,” he tells ATR.

Jungwirth said that in the run up to the regional government elections taking place March 1, a political party used the story for electioneering and brought the "case" up to the public prosecutor. The party also requested the IOC postpone the Board elections of the AOC, which took place Feb. 13.

“No evidence or action has been taken regarding the financial question that was originally raised and I am confident none will be,” Jungwirth said.

Jungwirth made contact with ATR in a bid to set the record straight before he officially leaves office Feb. 28. He had been secretary general since 1982 and is succeeded on an interim basis by sports director Matthias Bogner.

Austrian media and politicians had blamed the 57-year-old for being involved in the financial scandal following Salzburg's failed bid for the 2014 Olympics two years ago. But no evidence of wrongdoing has so far surfaced.

His resignation comes after a turbulent period for Austria's Olympic leaders, with Innsbruck's successful bid in December for the 2012 Youth Olympic Games providing only a brief ray of light.

The Austrian Ski Federation is understood to have piled pressure on the AOC to review its 2007 decision to ban all the biathlon and cross country coaches from the Olympics following the blood doping scandal at the Turin Games. The IOC fined the AOC $1 million and handed lifetime Olympic bans to six of the athletes involved in the Turin raids. The fine was eventually paid by the Austrian Ski Federation.

Peter Schröcksnadel, president of the federation, conducted a vigorous campaign through the Austrian media against the recent re-election of Leo Wallner as AOC president. The federation chief was a central figure in the blood doping scandals of the 2002 and 2006 Winter Games. He resigned as a member of the AOC following the Turin scandal.

But Wallner was returned to office to serve a fifth term as president in a vote at the AOC general assembly in Vienna two weeks ago.

ATR understands that Austria's sports minister Norbert Darabos had applied pressure to force Jungwirth out of office.

“The price of Wallner's last term of office was Jungwirth's resignation,” a source said.

“There have been too many incidents during the last months which have thrown a shade on the Olympic movement in Austria,” Darabos was quoted as saying in the Austrian media.

Jungwirth said the decision to re-elect Wallner was the “greatest success for the NOC.” Saying that he was proud of the work achieved in 28 years representing the NOC, he added: “I hope that the steps that have been taken will bring about a better atmosphere between the ski federation and the NOC for the benefit of the [Olympic] Movement and the sportsmen.”

Under pressure from the Austrian Ski Federation, the AOC's interim secretary general Matthias Bogner is already said to be considering a pardon of five biathlon coaches banned by the NOC in the aftermath of the Turin debacle.

The federation has reportedly threatened not to send a biathlon team to the Winter Olympics in Vancouver unless the ban on the coaches is lifted.

It would be a major blow to Austria's medal prospects at Vancouver 2010 if the biathlon team stayed home.

Last weekend, Austria claimed gold and silver at the biathlon world championships in the men’s 15-km mass start race in Pyeongchang, South Korea. It was the first individual gold for Austria at a world championships since Oslo 2000. Austria also won silver in the men's relay.

With reporting from Mark Bisson.

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