Sydney Olympics were bought ‘to a large extent’, said Australian official John Coates

Celebrations at the end of the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney. John Coates acknowledged making offers to two African National Olympic Committees that were within the rules at the time. Photograph: Steve Holland/AP

John Coates, the vice-president of the International Olympic Committee and outgoing president of the Australian National Olympic Committee, said “to a large extent” that Sydney was awarded the summer Olympic Games in 2000 because it “bought the Games”.

In extracts from a recently discovered hour-long interview in 2008, Coates revealed that he offered payments to two African National Olympic Committees who were represented on the IOC panel in exchange for their votes in 1993.