OLY: No regrets, says Knight

AAP General News (Australia)
12-14-2000
OLY: No regrets, says Knight

By John Salvado

SYDNEY, Dec 14 AAP - Michael Knight rode off into the Sydney Olympics sunset today,
adamant he had no regrets at his sometimes hard-nosed approach to organising the Games.

The Sydney organising committee (SOCOG) board, presided over by Mr Knight, held its
final meeting today, and he will leave New South Wales parliament in mid-January after
a 19-year stint, including almost five years as Olympics minister.

Mr Knight was a frequent lightning rod for criticism in the lead-up to the Games, which
ended up being acknowledged as the best ever.

"There were some tough things that had to be done along the way," he said.

"You can all make your own judgments whether if the tough things weren't done the Games
would have been as good as they were ...

"You don't try and do things in a way that upsets people for the sake of it but sometimes,
if you want to get results and make sure the right thing happens, you've got to be prepared
to take a few knocks along the way."

Mr Knight acknowledged that SOCOG's biggest mistake was the ticketing program, specifically
the secret plan to set aside large numbers of the best seats for sale to the rich at big
mark-ups.

There were lots of other mistakes along the way, "some of them I can't remember, but
I'm sure have been catalogued".

But Mr Knight refused to back away from his decision to block SOCOG chief executive
Sandy Hollway from receiving the International Olympic Committee's prestigious gold order
for his contribution to the Games.

Mr Knight has been seconded onto the IOC's Coordination Commission overseeing Athens'
preparation for the 2004 Games, but said he wasn't going to rush into another full-time
job.

Despite building up a close relationship with NBC television boss Dick Ebersol, he
ruled out working for the US Olympic rights holder.

Consultancy work is his preferred short-term option.

Mr Knight revealed in a speech in June that he always knew the need to make unpopular
decisions to ensure the success of the Games would preclude him from ever becoming NSW
premier.

"The premiership is never a position that I've coveted and I decided to do the Olympic
Games in a business-like way and to, if you like, defy the normal laws of political advancement,"

he said.

Mr Knight's last role for SOCOG will be to present the final report on the 2000 Games
to the IOC in July.

"I really want to fade off into the sunset," he added.

"I've done my job, I've done my time in public life (and) I'd like to think I've made
a contribution along the way.

"Now it's time for others to take up the reins and see what they can do."

AAP jds/apm/sp

KEYWORD: OLY KNIGHT

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