Olympic Games 2012: Drut Will Go If Trial Damages Paris Bid

The Paris 2012 bid committee member Guy Drut yesterday moved to counter any potential impact to the city's campaign to host the 2012 games by promising to resign if corruption charges against him "damage the bid".

Drut, a gold medallist in the 110m hurdles at the 1976 games in Montreal and a former sports minister, is charged with holding a fictional job at a construction company in the early 1990s, allegedly receiving $147,450 (£78,300) in wages.

Drut, who was expected to appear in court this week and faces five years in jail if found guilty, said he would step down rather than compromise the bid.

"If my presence might in any way hurt the Paris candidacy, which is a good candidacy, I would at that moment take dispositions to step aside."

Drut is charged alongside 46 other defendants in connection with political party fundraising during Jacques Chirac's tenure as mayor of Paris.

Charges against Drut first surfaced on the eve of the IOC's evaluation commission visit to Paris, but were brushed aside by bid officials.

The trial will continue beyond July, when the Internatinal Olympic Committee meets to decide which of Paris, London, Madrid, New York and Moscow will host the games.

The Paris bid representatives continued to defend Drut's role in the organisation yesterday, and denied that his presence would damage the French capital's chances of success in Singapore on July 6.

"The trial has nothing to do with Paris 2012," said a spokesman.