Int'l Association of Athletics Federations President Sebastian Coe "has broken his silence on doping and bribery allegations that are rocking the sport," according to David Rankin of the LONDON TIMES. The Sunday Times alleged Sunday that eight athletes, including Gold and Silver Medal winners, or their national organizations, "paid bribes" totaling nearly £1M ($1.5M) to "conceal failed drugs tests and allow the athletes to compete at the London 2012 Olympics." Speaking in advance of a report by the World Anti-Doping Agency, Coe said that the allegations were "abhorrent." Coe: "We are not complacent. Where there are fragilities in the system that may have allowed extortion, no matter how unsuccessful, we will strengthen them." The latest allegations, involving Russian athletes, claim that their federation paid former IAAF President Lamine Diack more than £850,000 "so that the athletes would be allowed to compete" at the London 2012 Games (LONDON TIMES, 11/8). The BBC reported Coe said that athletics faces a "long road to redemption" over allegations of bribery to cover up doping violations. Coe, "These are dark days for our sport. The day after I got elected, I started a massive review. Understandably, in the light of the allegation that have been made, that review has been accelerated." With WADA preparing to reveal the results of its long investigation into athletics on Monday, Coe "knows things are about to get even worse before they can get better." However, he said that he was "not aware of any of the allegations" made against Diack, who stepped down in August, until they "first surfaced at the start of the week." When asked if countries who persistently produce athletes who dope should be thrown out of the sport Coe said, "I have never said never but my instinct is engagement rather than isolation. We need a generation of coaches and athletes to believe that it is possible to reach the pinnacle of sport with integrity and as clean athletes" (BBC, 11/8). REUTERS reported Coe also "struck back at critics who claimed the IAAF had not done enough to control doping." Coe said, "Every doping case currently being investigated by WADA was first identified by the IAAF through its athlete biological passport program." Coe said that the IAAF had "tested more than 5,000 athletes" since '09, proof the organization "was serious about making the sport clean." Coe: "The best way to cover up an anti-doping case is not to test athletes at all. We will continue to lead the fight against drugs in sport on behalf of all clean athletes. Those that cheat will be caught" (REUTERS, 11/7).
REJECTED CHARGES: REUTERS' Brian Love reported former Russian athletics CEO on Saturday "rejected allegations that his federation worked with top officials from the global IAAF federation to try to blackmail athletes in the run-up to the 2012 Olympics." TASS news agency said that Russia's Lilya Shobukhova "had previously told German broadcaster ARD she paid the Russian Athletics Federation" €450,000 to be allowed to participate in the 2012 Olympic Games. Former federation CEO Valentin Balakhnichev told Russian news agencies that the problems in int'l athletics were fueled by political pressures, "as was the corruption scandal surrounding FIFA." Balakhnichev said, "Let them present their claims to me, I will fight them. This is purely political." Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said, "Balakhnichev's case has been under consideration for a while. ... It is difficult to say that the opening of a case against Balakhnichev is news" (REUTERS, 11/7). REUTERS' Greg Stutchbury wrote athletics "lurched deeper into crisis" scrapping its year-end gala after French officials began investigating the ruling body's former president of corruption. IAAF canceled the Nov. 28 black-tie event in Monaco, which honors the year's best athletes, "because of the sport's doping scandal." Coe said, "Given the cloud that hangs over our association this is clearly not the time for the global athletics family to be gathering in celebration" (REUTERS, 11/6). REUTERS' Drazen Jorgic reported National Olympic Committee of Kenya Chair Kipchoge Keino said that WADA is "stepping up efforts" to get Kenya banned from int'l competition for four years unless the nation "seriously tackles" doping by its athletes. Dozens of Kenyan runners "have been caught doping in the past few years." WADA and other officials have "voiced frustration over the years that Athletics Kenya has not cracked down on doping, despite frequent promises that it would do so." Keino said that WADA was "seriously considering" recommending Kenya to be banned from all competitions for four years, including the 2016 Rio Olympics (REUTERS, 11/6).
