Antidoping Switzerland has suspended its cooperation with the IAAF "following the recent drugs scandals which have rocked the sport," according to Duncan Mackay of INSIDE THE GAMES. The decision was taken following allegations published last month in French newspaper Le Monde that former IAAF President Lamine Diack admitted to French police he had asked Russia for €1.5M ($1.6M) "to help cover-up doping cases involving their athletes." The Bern-based Antidoping Switzerland, however, has decided that it will "wait for the outcome of further investigations" before it starts working with the IAAF again. Antidoping Switzerland in a statement said, "Due to disquieting developments in the past few weeks and months, Antidoping Switzerland has decided for immediate discontinuation of contact as well as suspension of collaborative work with the International Association of Athletics Federations. Reason for this precautional (sic) measure to be taken are several reports on the IAAF's handling concerning their fight against doping; a newspaper account in Le Monde on December 18th 2015, to mention the latest one only. The stated suspension will directly affect the data exchange of athlete biological passports that will no longer be conducted." Antidoping Switzerland said, however, that it "would continue to work with Swiss Athletics." Its statement added, "The collaboration with the national Athletics Federation, Swiss Athletics, is going perfectly well and will go totally unquestioned in the context of the issues described. Just as well, doping controls will be continued equally unaffected" (INSIDE THE GAMES, 1/3).
