Mo Farah backed IAAF VP Sebastian Coe "to clean up athletics if he is elected as president of the IAAF" on Wednesday, according to Ron Lewis of the LONDON TIMES. Coe and former Ukrainian pole vaulter Sergey Bubka "are the two candidates to succeed Lamine Diack to the top job in world athletics on the opening morning of the IAAF Congress in Beijing." The winner "faces a tough task restoring credibility to the sport, but Farah, who has had a difficult summer after his coach, Alberto Salazar, was accused in a BBC Panorama programme of carrying out unethical doping practices, has faith that Coe can be a breath of fresh air for the sport." Farah: "You don’t want to see anything bad in the sport, but if we all do our best that’s all we can do. I hope Seb gets the job because I believe he can change athletics." Farah believes that "other countries should adopt the strict example set in Great Britain to root out cheats." He said, "In my opinion, if we all did what we do in the U.K. in terms of how we do testing, if every country applied that rule it would change dramatically." Coe "is a strong favourite to beat Bubka, having been publicly backed by 36 federations compared to just five who have spoken out in favour of the Ukrainian." With 214 federations allowed to vote, however, "some believe that the race is tight" (LONDON TIMES, 8/18).
FINAL PUSH: REUTERS' Nick Mulvenney wrote Bubka and Coe "were pressing the flesh among IAAF Congress delegates on Tuesday in a final push for votes." Doping is, however, "by no means the only issue." Both Bubka and Coe "have plans to promote the sport better, generate more revenue from sponsorship, coordinate the top level of competition into a more immediately understandable and saleable product as well as to attract a younger audience" (REUTERS, 8/18). European Athletics President Svein Arne Hansen called on the new IAAF president and council to put anti-doping efforts at the top of their agenda for the next four years. Hansen said that leaders of Europe’s 50 Member Federations had given him strong positive feedback on two statements he released after the recent documentary broadcast on the German ARD/WRD network and articles published by the Sunday Times, which contained serious allegations about doping in athletics. Hansen: "It is clear our members feel there needs to be more proactive communication from the IAAF. They also say that if there is anything more our sport can do to get a handle on this issue it should be done as soon as possible" (European Athletics).
