GALLUP NEWS SERVICE
TORONTO, ONT. -- The majority of Canadians (63%) believes that the recent scandal regarding the selection of host cities has tainted the image of the Olympic Games. A quarter (25%) do not believe the image of the games has been tainted, while 12% hold no opinion.
Regionally, Ontario residents are most likely to believe the scandal has tainted the Olympic Games. Sixty-seven percent (67%) of Ontarians believe the games have been tainted, compared to 64% in Quebec, 63% in the Prairies, 57% in British Columbia (B.C.), and 52% in Atlantic Canada.
Males and older Canadians are most likely to believe the scandal has tainted the Olympic image. Seventy percent (70%) of males compared to 56% of females, and 73% of 50- to 64-year-olds versus 47% of 18- to 29-year-olds, believe the games have been tainted by the scandal.
Samaranch Should Resign
Sixty-eight percent (68%) of Canadians believe Juan Antonio
Samaranch should resign as head of the International Olympic
Committee in view of the recent scandal. Only 16% believe he should
not resign, and the same number hold no opinion.
Residents of Ontario are most likely to believe he should resign, while B.C. residents are least likely to hold the same belief (72% vs. 55%). In the rest of Canada, 70% of Atlantic residents, 69% in the Prairies and 67% in Quebec believe Samaranch should resign.
Salt Lake Should Have Lost Games
Slightly more than half of Canadians (54%) believe that Salt Lake
City, Utah should have lost the rights to host the 2002 Winter
Olympic Games due to the accusations of bribery. Thirty-three
percent (33%) do not believe Salt Lake should have lost the rights
to host the games, while 13% hold no opinion.
Across Canada, 58% in Quebec, 55% in the Prairies, 53% in B.C., 52% in Ontario and 47% in the Atlantic provinces believe Salt Lake should have lost the rights to host the games.
Methodology
For results based on the sample of national adults (N=1,006)
surveyed February 15-19, 1999, the margin of sampling error is
±3.1 percentage points. A stratified random sample is used,
which is weighted for age and gender. The margins of error are
higher for the regions reflecting smaller sample sizes. For
example, for results based on the sample of adults in Quebec
(N=278), the margin of sampling error is ±5.9 percentage
points.
"In your opinion, has the image of the Olympic Games been tainted by the recent scandal regarding the selection of host cities?"
| Yes | No | No opinion | |
|---|---|---|---|
| National: | |||
| 1999 Feb 15-19 | 63% | 25% | 12% |
| Region: | |||
| Atlantic | 52 | 35 | 13 |
| Quebec | 64 | 23 | 13 |
| Ontario | 67 | 22 | 11 |
| Prairies | 63 | 24 | 13 |
| B.C. | 57 | 35 | 9 |
| Gender: | |||
| Male | 70 | 22 | 8 |
| Female | 56 | 29 | 15 |
| Age: | |||
| 18 - 29 years | 47 | 41 | 13 |
| 30 - 39 years | 66 | 26 | 9 |
| 40 - 49 years | 67 | 24 | 9 |
| 50 - 64 years | 73 | 20 | 7 |
| 65+ | 65 | 8 | 27 |
Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.
"Do you think Juan Antonio Samaranch should resign as head of the International Olympic Committee in view of the recent scandal?"
| National: | |||
| 1999 Feb 15-19 | 68% | 16% | 16% |
| Region: | |||
| Atlantic | 70 | 15 | 15 |
| Quebec | 67 | 16 | 17 |
| Ontario | 72 | 15 | 12 |
| Prairies | 69 | 15 | 16 |
| B.C. | 55 | 22 | 22 |
"Given the accusations of bribery, should Salt Lake City, Utah have lost the rights to host the 2002 Winter Olympic Games?"
| National: | |||
| 1999 Feb 15-19 | 54% | 33% | 13% |
| Region: | |||
| Atlantic | 47 | 36 | 18 |
| Quebec | 58 | 29 | 13 |
| Ontario | 52 | 37 | 11 |
| Prairies | 55 | 31 | 14 |
| B.C. | 53 | 33 | 15 |
FRENCH TRANSLATION:
« À votre avis, est-ce que l'image des jeux olympiques
a été ternie par le scandale récent concernant
la sélection des villes hôtesses? »
« Pensez-vous que Juan Antonio Samaranch devrait démissionner comme président du Comité olympique international à la lumière du récent scandale? »
« À votre avis, compte tenu des accusations de pot-de-vin, est-ce que Salt Lake City devrait avoir perdu le droit d'obtenir les jeux olympiques d'hiver de 2002? »