IRISH SAILOR PETER O’Leary has been let off with a warning for betting on the sailing competition at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced today.
Star Class skipper O’Leary bet €300 on rivals Great Britain winning the event at odds of 12-1 and as a result won 3,600 euros.
In its decision, the IOC ethics commission took into account that while at the time of the Beijing Games athletes were barred from betting on any Olympic competition, competitors in 2008 may not have been familiar with the regulations.
They also took into account that the bet had no bearing on the final result because O’Leary did not have a chance of fighting for a medal.
The IOC were first alerted to the issue during this summer’s Olympic Games in London.
