IAAF VP Sebastian Coe will "discover on Wednesday if he has been entrusted with the top job in athletics -- and at one of the most crucial times in the sport's history," according to Guy Aspin of the PA. Coe is running against Sergey Bubka, the former Ukrainian pole vaulter, for the presidency of the IAAF, with the election taking place at the IAAF Congress in Beijing ahead of the start of the World Championships. Coe is seen as the favorite to succeed Lamine Diack -- "and take on the challenge of repairing the standing of a sport whose very credibility is under threat because of repeated drug scandals." The mood in Coe's camp "is positive, although there is a determination not to let up and to keep the momentum going all the way to election day." Coe is "well out in front in terms of public declarations of support" (PA, 8/17). REUTERS' Nick Mulvenney reported Bubka "thinks the fight against doping is the main task facing whoever triumphs" in the election, a vote he is "still confident he will win." The six-time world champion said that "far from being negligent when faced with evidence of doping," the IAAF had, in fact, "led the way in the fight." He said, "We were first with biological athlete passports, we try to use scientific knowledge. We invest more than any other federation and we will continue." While Coe is committed to moving toward a "fully independent anti-doping agency to deal with violations" in int'l athletics, Bubka said he would work with the World Anti-Doping Agency to "chart the best way forward." Bubka: "WADA play this role and invest a lot of money. We need to assess, we need to consult. One of the main subjects for the IAAF is which way we go" (REUTERS, 8/17).
POSITIVE OUTLOOK: REUTERS' Gene Cherry reported Diack is "confident about the future of athletics as the sport prepares to elect his replacement." He said, "I am all the more confident of what we have in store. I have laid the foundations for the future of the IAAF with our two great champions ... whoever the IAAF athletics family elects he will be a bona fide son of our sport." Diack also announced he would "not be the only official leaving the organization," saying in a statement that General Secretary Essar Gabriel, who signed a four-year contract when he joined the IAAF in '11, had decided "not to renew his deal" (REUTERS, 8/17). The SID reported the German Athletics Federation (DLV) "will support Coe at the upcoming election." DLV President Clemens Prokop: "The federation has positioned itself in the direction of Coe. Both are outstanding candidates, but the DLV sees the greater reformation potential with Coe." Almost 40 countries "have publicly announced their support for the Brit" (SID, 8/17).
