IOC Suspends Former IAAF Chief, Says Sochi Drug Lab Credible

(ATR) Former IAAF president Lamine Diack is provisionally suspended from his role as an honorary member of the IOC.

The IOC Executive Board announced the decision on Tuesday following recommendations of the IOC Ethics Commission to suspend Diack amid an ongoing criminal investigation into alleged doping cover-ups during his tenure as IAAF president.

The recommendations were fueled by a World Anti-Doping Agency Independent Commission report claiming systemic and state-supported cover-ups of doping in Russia, specifically track and field athletes.

The report suggests the All-Russia Athletics Federation, the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) and members of the Russian government and Russian Olympic Committee encouraged the doping program and misconstrued or destroyed results at the WADA-accredited laboratory in Moscow.

As a result of the report, the IOC has asked the IAAF to "initiate disciplinary procedures against all athletes, coaches and officials who have participated in the Olympic Games and are accused of doping in the report of the Independent Commission."

The IOC added they will "take all the necessary measures and sanctions with regard to the withdrawal and reallocation of medals and as the case may be exclusion of coaches and officials from future Olympic Games."

At the press conference announcing the report, concerns were raised about the results from the Sochi 2014 Winter Games where the doping lab in Moscow was primarily used. The IOC says there is no evidence to suggest tests from those Games were tampered with.

"The IOC has no reason to question the credibility of the results of the anti-doping tests carried out at the Olympic Winter Games 2014."

The 335-page report did not include the information sensitive to the ongoing investigation of Diack by French authorities. The IC provided Interpol with the report months before the public release so it could open inquires into the claims of criminal mismanagement by former leaders of the IAAF.

Diack has been questioned by French investigators regarding allegations he received more than 1 million Euros to cover-up positive doping results.

Written by KevinNutley

Homepage photo: Getty Images

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