Two top Russian athletics officials and the son of former IAAF President Lamine Diack were "banned from the sport for life on Thursday for covering up an elite Russian athlete's positive dope test and blackmailing her over it," according to Mitch Phillips of REUTERS. The bans follow last year's World Anti-Doping Agency independent commission report that found a "state-sponsored culture of doping in Russia and prompted the country's suspension from the sport." Valentin Balakhnichev, the former head of the Russian athletics federation, the country's former head distance coach Aleksey Melnikov, and Papa Massata Diack, a former marketing consultant to the IAAF, "were all handed life bans by the IAAF Ethics Commission." The IAAF's former doping chief Gabrielle Dolle was "also banned for five years after all four men were found to have been involved in taking payment for covering up positive drugs tests or turning a blind eye to the activities." Thursday's sanctions were applied primarily regarding the case of Russian former London marathon winner Liliya Shobukhova, who paid $600,000 to have positive dope tests "covered up." She was subsequently allowed to compete at the 2012 Olympics and the "lucrative Chicago marathon" but then gave evidence on the matter to WADA. Russia's R-Sport agency reported that Balakhnichev had described the ban as "politicized" and that he intended to appeal; but Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said there was "no point in appealing" as the ban "had been expected" (REUTERS, 1/7). The PA's Martyn Ziegler reported Lamine Diack, who was succeeded as IAAF president by Sebastian Coe in August, is "himself under investigation by French police" on suspicion of taking more than €1M ($1.09M) to cover up positive tests. The commission's report "also refers to allegations from Russia's deputy sports minister Yuri Nagorny that 'at least' five other Russian athletes were also involved." According to Nagorny, the report states, "a system was put in place at the IAAF level under which athletes with an abnormal blood passport profile would be allowed to keep competing at high level in exchange of cash payments made to the IAAF." The IAAF said it was "angered" that its former officials had blackmailed Shobukhova and that they were "no longer involved" with the organization. Coe added, "The life bans announced today could not send a stronger message that those who attempt to corrupt or subvert the sport of athletics will be brought to justice" (PA, 1/7).
