The Int'l Association of Athletics Federations denied that it "suppressed a damning survey highlighting widespread doping among athletes at the 2011 World Championships," according to the LONDON TIMES. The Sunday Times claimed the survey revealed that between 29 and 34% of 1,800 athletes at the championships in South Korea "admitted to cheating with the use of banned performance-enhancing techniques" and that its authors had been gagged. An IAAF spokesperson said, "The IAAF has never vetoed publication of this article." The IAAF claimed that the study was a "social science based survey" conducted by the World Anti-Doping Agency and a team of researchers at the athletes' village at the Daegu World Championships. The IAAF, which said it "answered concerns about the study when it was raised" on a German TV program in '13, claimed the article was "rejected for publication by a scientific journal, having been submitted without its knowledge." It said it had "serious reservations" over the interpretation of the results received in the survey, which were confirmed by "high-profile experts in social science" who reviewed the article for it. The governing body said, "The IAAF submitted those concerns to the research group but has never heard back from them." The latest installment of the investigation into doping allegations in athletics "comes with the sport's world governing body preparing to vote for its new president on Wednesday," when IAAF VP Sebastian Coe and Sergey Bubka bid to succeed Lamine Diack. The IAAF has "strongly denied allegations" that it "turned a blind eye to potential mass doping in the sport as it prepares for the World Championships, which begin in Beijing on Saturday." The IAAF criticized the decision to "leak the results of the study to the media before it was published" (LONDON TIMES, 8/16). The PA reported the University of Tubingen in Germany, which led the research, is quoted as saying, "The IAAF's delaying publication for so long without good reason is a serious encroachment on the freedom of publication. These findings demonstrate that doping is remarkably widespread among elite athletes, and remains largely unchecked despite current biological testing programmes." When asked about the study -- which was financed by WADA -- being held back, the lead author, Rolf Ulrich, said, "The IAAF is blocking it. I think they are stakeholders with WADA and they just blocked the whole thing" (PA, 8/16). In London, Nick Harris reported fears that British WADA President Craig Reedie "may be taking a soft approach to Russian drugs cheats have grown" with the revelation he has assured them they will not "be singled out for a clampdown." Russia has "more dopers serving bans than any other country." But Reedie reportedly told Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko there is "no intention" WADA will take any action against Russia to "disrupt the pair's friendship." Reedie insists he "needs to tread a diplomatic line in his WADA role, which he has held since January 2014." Last week he re-iterated he was "against banning any nation from competing, no matter how prolific their doping patterns." He said that such bans would be "blunt-edged" and "damage the innocent" (DAILY MAIL, 8/15).
