“IAAF Council Could Not Have Been Unaware” of Doping in Athletics, Claims WADA

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has accused the leaders of the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) of being aware of the extent of doping in athletics and did little to stop it.

WADA has released part two of its Independent Commission Report and has questioned the role of the IAAF council, such as president Seb Coe.

Coe, who was in attendance at the press conference where Independent Commission chairman Dick Pound presented the findings of the report, will be under even more pressure following this revelation.

The report, presented at a news conference in Munich on Thursday, stated: “The IAAF Council could not have been unaware of the extent of doping in athletics and the non-enforcement of applicable anti-doping rules.

“It is increasingly clear that far more IAAF staff knew about the problems than has currently been acknowledged.

“It is not credible that elected officials were unaware of the situation affecting … athletics in Russia. If, therefore, the circle of knowledge was so extensive why was nothing done?

“There was an evident lack of political appetite within the IAAF to confront Russia with the full extent of its known and suspected doping activities.”

The report also added: “The corruption was embedded in the organization. It cannot be ignored or dismissed as attributable to the odd renegade acting on its own.”

The IC’s report also accused former IAAF Lamine Diack was “responsible for organizing and enabling the conspiracy and corruption that took place in the IAAF”.

It went on to say: “He sanctioned and appears to have had personal knowledge of the fraud and the extortion of athletes carried out by the actions of the informal illegitimate governance structure he put in place.”

In a statement, WADA President, Sir Craig Reedie said:

“It is hugely disturbing that individuals at the highest levels of the IAAF were abetting and covering up doping for their own financial gain.

“This flagrant disregard for the law and anti-doping rules undermines trust amongst clean athletes, and indeed the public, worldwide. Given their criminal nature, the actions of these individuals are now in the hands of the French justice system.”

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