Lifetime Bans for IAAF Officials

(ATR) The son of former IAAF president Lamine Diack and two other top officials have received lifetime bans over allegations they covered up Russian doping violations.

Papa Massata Diack, who worked as an IAAF marketing consultant, was sanctioned Thursday along with former Russian athletics federation chief Valentin Balakhnichev and ex-Russian long-distance running coach Alexei Melnikov. Balakhnichev and Diack were also fined $25,000 and Melnikov $15,000.

The IAAF’s ethics commission handed down a five-year ban to its former anti-doping director Gabriel Dollé.

"The panel considers in the light of its findings that VB (Balakhnichev), AM (Melnikov) and PMD (Massata Diack) should be banned for life from any further involvement in any way in the sport of track and field; any lesser sanction would not meet the gravity of their offences," said an ethics commission statement.

"In GD (Dollé)’s case such ban is also appropriate but in his case for 5 years only; his sins were those of omission, not commission. The panel hereby imposes these bans with effect from the date of this decision," the statement added.

The bans followed an IAAF probe, launched in April 2014, into revelations by German broadcaster ARD several months earlier about Liliya Shobukhova. ARD alleged the Russian marathon runner, who became a whistleblower for the World Anti-Doping Agency, was extorted out of more than $500,000 by Russian officials to cover-up doping violations before the London 2012 Olympics.

Responding to the ethics commission’s verdicts, the IAAF said it was "angered" to see that individuals have in the panel’s finding "conspired to extort what were in substance bribes from the athlete by acts of blackmail".

"This is all the more so because these breaches are related to one doping case which, among others, was identified and pursued by the IAAF Anti-Doping Department," it said in a statement.

"Ultimately, the department was able to ensure that the athlete concerned received a lengthy ban, but the four individuals' activities delayed that outcome. The IAAF has already introduced corrective measures to make sure this sort of interference can’t happen again."

The IAAF said it was "reassured" the ethics panel had seen no evidence implicating any other members of its anti-doping department.

IAAF president Sebastian Coe said the life bans "could not send a stronger message that those who attempt to corrupt or subvert the sport of athletics will be brought to justice. We continue to work with the French authorities’ investigation and the WADA Independent Commission."

Thursday’s decisions come amid a criminal investigation in France into former IAAF chief Diack over corruption and money-laundering allegations. He is suspected of pocketing more than $1 million to cover up positive drugs tests.

The IAAF crisis is set to deepen on Jan. 14 when the WADA Independent Commission chaired by Richard Pound publishes the second part of its report into doping in athletics. It follows the devastating expose of state-sponsored doping in Pound’s first report issued in November, which triggered the suspension of Russia from international competition.

Russia’s track and field athletes could yet miss the Rio 2016 Olympics if the country’s overhaul of its anti-doping system does not achieve compliance with IAAF and WADA regulations. A decision is due in March.

Pound has promised a "wow" factor in his second report.

"Still working on it," he tells Around the Rings.

Asked why Munich was chosen as the location of next week’s press conference, the IOC member from Canada pointed to "more interest in Europe" about the WADA IC report.

An IAAF inspection team will travel to Moscow on Sunday for a two-day check-up on the progress of changes to Russia’s anti-doping system.

Written by Mark Bisson

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