Sports Briefs
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LAMINE Diack, embattled former president of the International Association of Athletics Federations, IAAF, has resigned from his position as an honorary member of the International Olympic Committee.
Diack is provisionally suspended by the IOC while being investigated by French police over allegations that he took bribes to cover up positive drugs tests when in charge of the IAAF.
The 82-year-old sport administrator had already resigned as president of the International Athletics Foundation, the charitable arm of the IAAF, which he headed for 16 years.
On Monday, November 9, the IAAF was implicated in a World Anti-Doping Agency report that accused Russia of widespread doping.
Papa Massata, Diack’s son, Habib Cisse, his advisor and Gabriel Dolle, a former IAAF anti-doping chief, are also being investigated by French police.
The French financial prosecutor said in a statement last week: “Diack is suspected of receiving money in exchange for deferring sanctions for several Russian athletes who were found guilty of doping in 2011, ahead of the Olympic Games.
“Diack and Cisse were arrested on Sunday, (November 1) and released on Tuesday, (November 3) after being interrogated by police officers and judges.
“They were presented to a judge on Tuesday who informed them that they had been put under a formal investigation. The investigation also continues into whether other persons were involved in suspected corruption.”
The IOC said on Tuesday, November 9: “The executive board decided this afternoon to confirm the proposal of the IOC ethics commission to provisionally suspend Mr. Lamine Diack, the former president of IAAF, from his honorary membership of the IOC.”
The statement urged the IAAF to take action against Olympic athletes accused of doping in Wada’s report.
Diack ended his 16-year reign as the IAAF president in August, this year when Sebastian Coe, a Briton double Olympic 1500m winner, was elected as his replacement.
— Nov 23, 2015 @ 01:00 GMT
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