DOPING IN ATHLETICS: IAAF Trio Step Down Amid Drug Storm

The chief of Russia's athletics federation, Valentin Balakhnichev

The son of IAAF president Lamine Diack has stepped down from his activities with athletics' world governing body pending an investigation into allegations of a cover-up of systematic doping in Russia.

Papa Massata Diack, who works for the IAAF as a marketing consultant, joins Valentin Balakhnichev, the president of the Russian athletics federation and the IAAF's treasurer, in agreeing to step down.

Photo: Tribune.com

IAAF legal adviser Habib Cisse has also taken similar action, sources have confirmed to Press Association Sport, after German television station ARD broadcast three documentaries alleging that the IAAF officials were implicated in covering up the doping in Russia.

The IAAF said in a statement: "The IAAF appreciates the gesture of council member Valentin Balakhnichev, who has been the subject of recent media allegations, who has voluntarily decided to cease exercising his duties as IAAF treasurer and council member until the independent IAAF ethics commission's ongoing investigation has concluded.

"IAAF marketing consultant Papa Massata Diack has also written to the IAAF confirming that he will suspend his activities on behalf of the IAAF until the commission has delivered its final report."

The move comes after the IAAF's executive board met on Wednesday - the governing body's ethics committee is investigating the allegations. The latest programme by ARD involved a list of 150 athletes from 2006-2008 named as having suspicious blood results - including three Britons, one of whom was high-profile.

The TV channel alleged the IAAF did not follow up the suspicious results by target-testing the athletes involved.

The controversy is now set to play an interesting role in the election to succeed Lamine Diack next August. Sebastian Coe, the double Olympic 1500 metres champion and chairman of the British Olympic Association, is running for the presidency and is expected to be challenged by his fellow IAAF vice-president Sergei Bubka, from Ukraine.

Sebastian Coe (L) and Sergei Bubka (R)

Coe, who is understood to have been supportive of the decision for the officials to step down from their IAAF activities pending the investigation, has been a vociferous opponent of doping.

His manifesto calls for the IAAF's doping unit to be completely independent of the governing body - something that is likely to gain support following the latest allegations. Bubka, too, issued a statement earlier this week calling for an investigation.

Balakhnichev told Russia's TASS news agency he and the federation had been subjected to "brutal persecution" by the allegations.

ARD reported that three-time Chicago Marathon winner Liliya Shobukhova paid 450,000 euros to the Russian athletics federation to avoid a doping ban - she was eventually banned for doping and she said some of the money was refunded.

Liliya Shobukhova

ARD claimed it had evidence linking the 300,000 euro refund to Balakhnichev and that the Singapore-based company that allegedly made the payment was owned by a business partner of Papa Massata Diack.

The French sports daily L'Equipe has also raised questions about meetings in Moscow hotels in 2011 between Balakhnichev, Cisse and Papa Massata Diack.

Balakhnichev, who has branded the claims "a pack of lies", told TASS he had written to the IAAF president offering to "temporarily cease to work as treasurer and as a member of the council".

Lamine Diack on Wednesday also described as "ridiculous" a report that his son appeared to request a payment of US$5 million during Doha's failed bid for the 2017 World Championships.

The Guardian has reported Papa Massata Diack, who holds the organization's marketing rights for a number of countries including Qatar, sent an email in 2011 asking for the payment.

The Qatar Athletics Federation told the Guardian it did not recognize the emails and had complied with all regulations.

Lamine Diack said in L'Equipe: "The Guardian said my son had tapped up Qatar for 5million dollars for me to say we can hold the championships in September. That's very overpriced - and it's ridiculous because I had always answered 'yes' to this question anyway."