A secret World Anti-Doping Agency inquiry reportedly revealed that Russian athletics chiefs and the sons of former IAAF President Lamine Diack "blackmailed athletes suspected of doping to let them keep competing," according to the AFP. Mediapart said that "it had seen a report by a WADA independent commission which is due to be made public next Monday." Mediapart said that six Russian athletes, including top marathon runner Lilya Shobukhova, "were the targets of blackmail attempts by Russian athletics federation officials." It quoted the WADA report as saying Shobukhova, who had her ban reduced after giving evidence to IAAF investigators, handed over $569,000 between '12 and '14 to Russian coach Alexey Melnikov, "who acted as an intermediary." The report added that Diack's two sons, Pape Massata Diack and Khalil Diack, were alleged to have asked for $500,000 from Turkey's 1,500m women's Olympic champion Asli Cakir Alptekin in Nov. '12, "but she refused." The WADA report said that the Diack family "used a Singapore-based company Black Tidings for money transfers" (AFP, 11/5). The London GUARDIAN reported Dr. Gabriel Dollé, the former director of the IAAF’s medical and anti-doping department, "has been placed under criminal investigation," suspected of taking about €200,000 ($217,600) in bribes in an alleged cover-up of positive Russian doping tests. The French office for financial prosecutions said that Dollé joins Diack and Diack’s legal adviser, Habib Cissé, "under formal investigation." Former WADA President Dick Pound, who has been investigating allegations of systematic doping and cover-ups in Russia since December, "will announce his findings in what could be a dramatic press conference on Geneva on Monday." A separate investigation by the IAAF ethics commission, "led by the highly respected QC Michael Beloff, is also looking at the activities of other former senior IAAF figures -- although it is not thought that Beloff’s report is imminent" (GUARDIAN, 11/5).
'NOTHING TO FEAR': REUTERS' Martyn Herman wrote after French media reported a corruption investigation involved alleged Russian drugs cheats, acting Russian Athletics Federation (VFLA) President Vadim Zelichenok said that "Russia has nothing to fear from the latest scandal to rock world athletics." French TV news channel iTELE reported that the investigation "was focused on suspicions that payments were made in return for not revealing widespread doping of Russian athletes, although the prosecutor's office did not confirm that." Zelichenok said that the case "did not involve" his organization. He said, "No one has been in touch with the new representatives of the Russian Athletics Federation about the current situation. We have not received one question from any organization. Therefore, this case does not involve the VFLA in any way at the moment. Let's wait for some official information" (REUTERS, 11/5). The GUARDIAN reported the VFLA said that five Russian athletes "have been suspended for doping abuse." The best known, Maria Konovalova, 41, who twice won bronze in the Chicago marathon and is a two-time Russian champion, "was disqualified until October 2017 and her results from August 2009 cancelled." Mariya Bespalova, 29, who took part in the 2012 Olympics in London, "was given a four-year ban until October 2019." The federation said that runners Vlas Bredikhin and Yaroslav Kholopov "were suspended from competitions for four years, while the race walker Yevgeny Nushtayev was given a six-month ban" (GUARDIAN, 11/5).
COE QUESTIONED: In London, Ron Lewis reported IAAF President Sebastian Coe "has been questioned by French police" after his predecessor was arrested on charges of corruption. There are no allegations against Coe, "who volunteered to co-operate with investigators." Officers "searched the IAAF headquarters in Monaco" (LONDON TIMES, 11/5). In a separate article, Lewis wrote UK Athletics Chair Ed Warner said that "he hopes the police investigation into doping and alleged corruption at the IAAF could finally provide some sort of closure to athletes who always believed that they were cheated out of medals." Warner said, "On the one side they will be really sad to see their suspicions confirmed, but they are probably heartened that they are confirmed, that they therefore know they were cheated rather than wondering if they were. It probably will enable some of them to put some of it behind them." Warner said that he hopes Coe "will be given the support needed to clean up the sport and says that he is the right man to do the job." Warner: "If I had to back one administrator in athletics globally who can deal with that it’s Seb" (LONDON TIMES, 11/5).
BIGGER THAN BLATTER: In London, Matt Dickinson opined "in at least one way," this police raid "could be said to be bigger" than suspended FIFA President Sepp Blatter. Diack "has been placed under criminal investigation on suspicion of abetting cheats by taking money to cover up doping tests." For all the many scandals that have brought FIFA to its knees, "no one has accused Blatter or his cronies of corrupting the game itself." Dodgy "bid processes?" Backhanders "on multimillion broadcast deals?" Our eyes "have been opened to these seemingly every-day crimes within sports bodies, but nothing could be more serious than the charge of protecting, and profiteering from, cheats." That "is the nightmare threatening to engulf athletics" after the revelation that French prosecutors are investigating whether Diack took €200,000 to collude with the Russian federation over doping tests (LONDON TIMES, 11/5).
