Page 28 - THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE’S ACCOUNTABILITY FOR HARMFUL CONSEQUENCES OF THE OLYMPIC GAMES- A MULTI-METHOD INTERNATIONAL LEGAL ANALYSIS Ryan Gautier

Chapter One – Introduction
changes in legislation by the host city to accommodate the Olympics and its sponsors.75 Additionally, hosting the Olympic Games often brings about privatization of resources by the state. For instance, stadia built with public funds may be turned over to private organisations. This may be planned, or may occur when public authorities find themselves unable to cope with managing the facilities. A planned turnover is occurring in London, and involves the 2012 Summer Olympic Games stadium. Built at a cost of most than $940 million, mostly from public funds, the stadium is being leased to the football team West Ham United as of 2016 for $3.2 million per year, plus a one-time payment of $23 million to offset conversion costs.76 On the one hand, such a deal may be seen as a sensible legacy for the Olympic Stadium, guaranteeing a tenant, and an income stream, to prevent the stadium from becoming a ‘white elephant’. On the other hand, the deal is seen as unfairly benefitting the football team, and has been challenged as a violation of EU rules against state aid.77
Neoliberalism is not a central theory to this research. Instead, neoliberalism acts as more of a background theory, a concern to keep in mind. While the IOC may be viewed as a neoliberal organisation, a private organisation exercising public regulatory power, the IOC is not necessarily market-driven. Instead, the situation may also be one of cities and countries using the IOC, and in particular the Olympic Games, to pursue neoliberal policies, discussed in Chapter Four.
4. Methodologies of the Thesis
This thesis draws on methodologies from both international relations, and from law. These methodologies are: (1) case study, (2) principal-agent approach, and (3) comparative legal methods. The case study methodology will be used to unpack the problem of legitimacy in
75 See, e.g., Ryan Gauthier, ‘Major Event Legislation: Lessons from London and Looking Forward’ (2014) 14 The International Sports Law Journal 58; Mark James and Guy Osborn, ‘London 2012 and the Impact of the UK’s Olympic and Paralympic Legislation: Protecting Commerce or Preserving Culture?’ (2011) 74 The Modern Law Review 410; Stephan A. Stuart and Teresa Scassa, ‘Legal Guarantees for Olympic Legacy’ (2011) 9 Entertainment and Sports Law Journal 22.
76 Owen Gibson, ‘Question of State Aid Still Lingers Over West Ham’s Luxurious New Home’ The Guardian (London, 20 April 2015) <http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/apr/20/west-ham-compensation-risk-state- aid-olympic-stadium> accessed 28 April 2015.
77 ibid.
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