French prosecutors have confirmed that they have widened their investigation into corruption in track and field to include the bidding for the 2016 and 2020 Olympics.
Franck Charon, the spokesman for the national financial prosecutions office in Paris, tells The Associated Press that a preliminary investigation has been opened "but at this stage we are just making verifications, we cannot prejudge the outcome of the investigation."
The 2016 and 2020 Olympics were awarded to Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo.
The International Olympic Committee said it has seen "no evidence" so far to support allegations of possible bribery in the bidding for the 2016 and 2020 Games, adding it is in "close contact" with French prosecutors, who have been investigating bribery and money-laundering involving doping cover-ups at the IAAF.
