Hickey, who has denied wrongdoing, has temporarily stepped down from all his Olympic positions pending a resolution of his case. He was president of the European Olympic Committees, head of Ireland's national Olympic Committee and a member of the International Olympic Committee's powerful executive board. The IOC said it was not contributing toward Hickey's defense, but also asked for his release on health grounds. "But the health of Mr. Hickey is giving the IOC great concern, and has seriously deteriorated over the past weeks. In a previous statement, Hickey told the newspaper: "I intend to face all the charges and to fight each and every one of them."

Source: New Zealand Herald October 21, 2016 10:48 UTC