(ATR) Hear the IOC president speak to the media for the first time about the Russian doping scandal.
Thomas Bach says the IOC is taking a leadership role in fighting back against what could be the biggest case of systematic doping since the days of East Germany two generations ago.
"We have taken the clear decision we will withdraw the medals of affected athletes. We will exclude athletes and officials from future Olympic Games which are implicated in this issue. And the IAAF will have to deal with its member federations. This is not for the IOC, we have no authority. But we are in contact, we are assisting and we are encouraging."
Bach spoke to the media shortly after delivering remarks at the opening of the annual SportAccord International Federations Forum in Lausanne. In that talk he made it clear to the dozens of sports leaders assembled, Olympic and non-Olympic, that good governance was an issue they must confront or else suffer the consequences that face FIFA and now the IAAF.
On Monday, an independent commission for the World Anti-Doping Agency released a 330 page report the details extensive breaches in Russia of drug testing protocol, destruction of positive samples, intimidation by state security police and the possibility that leaders of the IAAF were bribed to keep Russian positive tests secret.
Ex-IAAF president Lamine Diack is under investigation by French authorities for such allegations. He resigned his seat as an honorary IOC member today, 24 hours after the IOC executive board voted to suspend Diack’s IOC connection.
"This was shocking and very saddening news. I could never have imagined that in an international Federation the leadership would be soliciting bribes from athletes in order to manipulate sports competition. This is unbelievable and it makes everybody who loves sport very, very sad," Bach said about the Diack case.
Bach also noted that the Russian Olympic Committee has not been accused of any wrongdoing and that he expects the committee to be part of the solution.
Hear the entire 10 minute Q&A with the media by clicking here or by listening below.
Written by Ed Hula in Lausanne.
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