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January 15, 2016

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WADA: Graft embedded in IAAF

A WORLD Anti-Doping Agency report said yesterday that corruption was 鈥渆mbedded鈥 at the world athletics body piling pressure on its new leader Sebastian Coe.

The International Association of Athletics Associations must鈥檝e known about corruption orchestrated by its former leader Lamine Diack, it said.

But Richard Pound, the former WADA president who wrote the report, said that Coe, who took over the IAAF in August is the best person to lead reforms of the world body.

Pound still produced a litany of accusations against the IAAF. It was not tough enough with 鈥渟everal countries鈥, including Russia, the report said, indicating that doping scandals were not limited to Russia.

Diack faces criminal charges in France over claims that he took more than 1 million euros (US$1.1 million) in bribes from Russian athletes and officials to cover up failed drug tests.

His two sons and several aides have also been accused in the scandal. Some also face charges in France.

鈥淭he corruption was embedded in the organization,鈥 Pound said in a damning comment on the IAAF鈥檚 handling of drug abuse.

Pound said there was a 鈥渃omplete breakdown of governance structures and lack of accountability鈥 at the IAAF.

鈥淚t cannot be ignored or dismissed as attributable to the odd renegade acting on his own,鈥 he said of the graft.

Pound said the IAAF governing council, which included Coe, had to be aware of the corruption. 鈥淭he IAAF Council could not have been unaware of the extent of doping in athletics and the non-enforcement of applicable anti-doping rules.鈥

Former British running legend Coe, who took over the IAAF leadership in August when Diack stood down, sat in the audience in Munich as the report was presented.

And when asked about reforms to the world body, Pound said: 鈥淎s far as the ability of Lord Coe to remain at the head of the IAAF, I think it鈥檚 a fabulous opportunity for the IAAF to seize this opportunity and under strong leadership to move forward out of this.

鈥淭here鈥檚 an enormous amount of reputational recovery to do here and, descending to personalities, I can鈥檛 think of anyone better than Lord Coe to lead that.鈥

The first part of Pound鈥檚 report, released in November said there was a 鈥渟tate-sponsored鈥 doping system in Russia, which has since been suspended by the IAAF.

The new report said Diack had told a lawyer he would need to make a deal with Russia鈥檚 President Vladimir Putin to ensure nine Russian athletes accused of doping would not compete at the 2013 world championships in Moscow.

The report told of a sudden increase from US$6 million to US$25 million for Russian rights to televise the 2013 world championships. This was provided by a Russian bank.

Diack handpicked a lawyer to handle Russian doping cases even though he had little experience with anti-doping measures, the report added.

Richard McLaren, a lawyer who was part of the investigation commission, said that Diack鈥檚 advisor Habib Cisse deliberately held up sending warning notices to Russia about drug failures.


 

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