The IOC president, Juan Antonio Samaranch, stonewalled defiantly yesterday before a withering barrage of questions from a United States Congressional committee, which lambasted his record and cast doubt on the International Olympic Committee's willingness to root out corruption.
Joe Barton, a Texas Republican, challenged the IOC president to step down from the post he has held for the past 19 years due to the widespread bribe-taking that was unearthed last year in an investigation of Salt Lake City's bid to host the 2002 winter games.
From his bench, Barton stared down at the diminutive 79-year-old and said: "I would like you to announce here that you will resign."
Samaranch did not respond directly to the challenge but said later he hoped to hand over an IOC with restored credibility to a successor in 2001. He recently raised the maximum age for the post of IOC president to 80.
It was a tense confrontation in a chamber packed with US athletes, sports officials, journalists and Henry Kissinger, the former secretary of state and sports enthusiast who is now serving as an IOC adviser.
Samaranch responded to questions through a Spanish translator, but first delivered an English-written statement, in which he made no apologies for a $2,000 trip his wife took to Atlanta at the expense of the local Olympic Committee which sponsored shopping expeditions and a private fashion show for Mrs Samaranch and a friend.
"My wife accepted the invitation to Atlanta in the spirit in which it and so many others have been offered: friendship and hospitality," he wrote.
He pointed to the IOC's adoption of reforms over the weekend in Lausanne. An ethics commission was set up including outside members, and - in an effort to eradicate bribe-taking - visits by IOC members to cities competing to host the Olympics were banned.
But Samaranch confirmed that the reforms would not apply to the office of IOC president. "I do not think it is necessary," he said, triggering a wave of murmurs.
Samaranch was closely questioned about a deal with NBC, in which the IOC awarded the US television network broadcast rights to the next five Olympics. The IOC president was asked why competing networks were not given the chance to bid and whether the award was linked in any way with an NBC donation to an Olympic museum in Lausanne, Samaranch's pet project.
"We felt that the NBC as a company has our confidence and deserves our confidence," Samaranch replied.
He denied any link between donations to the museum and the award of broadcast rights, but after repeated questioning agreed to release documents on the museum's finances and on the television franchise.
Fred Upton, a Michigan Republican chairing the hearings, asked: "Why should I or any member of this panel believe that the IOC leadership is serious about implementing these reforms now?"
Samaranch referred to earlier reports of endemic corruption as rumours. He said he was unable to remember whether he had been present when a scathing report on IOC bribe-taking was delivered by Olympic officials in Toronto.
Pressed further, he said the Toronto officials "never submitted a single name - never". He added: "We can only take action if we have concrete evidence."
He rejected as "lies" reports that his permanent suite at the Palace Hotel in Lausanne cost the IOC $500,000 a year. The suite was "by no means luxurious", he said, consisting of a bedroom and a salon in which he received guests. Samaranch said it cost $250 a day when he was there, and $70 a day for keeping the room in his name when he was travelling.
He refused to accept the panel's demand to pay for it out of his own pocket, declaring: "I am the chairman of the IOC. I have no salary. The IOC just pays my expenses, for accommodation and for my travels."
