WADA: Graft embedded in IAAF
Print Edition
A WORLD Anti-Doping Agency report said yesterday that corruption was “embedded” at the world athletics body piling pressure on its new leader Sebastian Coe.
The International Association of Athletics Associations must’ve 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 “several countries”, 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.
“The corruption was embedded in the organization,” Pound said in a damning comment on the IAAF’s handling of drug abuse.
Pound said there was a “complete breakdown of governance structures and lack of accountability” at the IAAF.
“It cannot be ignored or dismissed as attributable to the odd renegade acting on his own,” he said of the graft.
Pound said the IAAF governing council, which included Coe, had to be aware of the corruption. “The IAAF Council could not have been unaware of the extent of doping in athletics and the non-enforcement of applicable anti-doping rules.”
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: “As far as the ability of Lord Coe to remain at the head of the IAAF, I think it’s a fabulous opportunity for the IAAF to seize this opportunity and under strong leadership to move forward out of this.
“There’s an enormous amount of reputational recovery to do here and, descending to personalities, I can’t think of anyone better than Lord Coe to lead that.”
The first part of Pound’s report, released in November said there was a “state-sponsored” 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’s 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’s advisor Habib Cisse deliberately held up sending warning notices to Russia about drug failures.
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