The Iranian president was quoted by the state news agency as saying that Alirezaei's actions would be "recorded in the history of Iranian glories," and he declared that Iran consider Alirezaei to be "the champion of the 2004 Olympic Games." But Giselle Davies, director of communications for the International Olympic Committee, stated that Alirezaei had confirmed in writing that he withdrew from the men's 100 metre breaststroke because of illness, and that the committee would take Alirezaei at his word. Iran could have faced sanctions had the IOC decided that Alirezaei pulled out of the race because an Israeli was scheduled to compete. Giselle Davies, director of communications for the IOC, said that Alirezaei withdrew because of sickness and submitted his case in writing to his Federation. Davies stated: "We take both the athlete and the [Iranian] National Olympic Committee at their word on this." Flip Bondy wrote in the "New York Daily News": "This is ... worthy of expulsion from the Olympic movement. Yet such an action would create a precarious schism, so the IOC once again has cynically agreed to believe the Iranians' medical excuse for Alirezaei... Instead, the IOC shamelessly shifted into ingenuous mode."