Accused: Daniel Koum. Credit:Jason South Koum last night denied the allegations. But Michael Keelan, chief executive of the Australian Weightlifting Federation, confirmed the incident. Mr Keelan would not name the athlete involved, but other sources confirmed it was Koum, a 26-year-old Melbourne-based weightlifter originally from Cameroon who became an Australian citizen in 2008. The event finished on Saturday in Apia, with Australia eventually winning by six points, ahead of Kiribati and Fiji. Australia had to finish in the top five at the event to earn a solitary men's spot at the London Games. If Koum had failed to accrue any points, the Australians would have finished well down the ladder.

Australia has now earned a spot for one athlete to go to London. Who takes that place will be decided at a final qualifying event this weekend in Brisbane, but it is believed that Koum was out of contention for the Olympic spot when he made his alleged demand. It is understood a member of the support team in Apia learned of Koum's plan after the weightlifter told a member of a competing nation, who in turn informed the Australians. To head off the move, it is believed team coaches offered Koum a reward of $1000 - to be paid out of their own pockets - for him to lift a total of 250 kilograms in his event, the 62-kilogram weight division. After initially agreeing to that arrangement, Koum allegedly then demanded before his lift that he be paid $5000. The money was found and paid to Koum, who performed well enough in the competition to give Australia a victory and a spot in the London Games.

But the fallout has just begun, with an internal investigation being launched amid various weightlifting stakeholders yesterday. Sources declined to reveal precisely how the money paid to Koum was raised, but said it would be repaid out of the personal bank accounts of a group of team officials and coaches. When confronted with the allegation, Koum said: "I deny that." The remaining team members continued the competition and were only told of the situation later at their hotel. Koum did not travel home with the team and returned to Melbourne the day after the bulk of the squad.