Lord Coe expects 'robust' IAAF response
Last Updated: 03/08/15 1:12pm
Lord Coe expects a "robust and detailed response" from the IAAF after allegations of widespread doping.
Leaked data suggested a third of the athletics medals won in endurance events at the Olympics and World Championships between 2001 and 2012 – including 10 at London 2012 – were won by athletes with suspicious blood samples.
Writing on Twitter, Coe said: "In response to today’s media reports, I know that the IAAF takes these allegations extremely seriously and it will issue a robust and detailed response to them and continue to work closely, as it has always done, with WADA."
The double Olympic gold medallist is favourite to succeed Lamine Diack as IAAF president on August 19 in Beijing and pledged in his 100-day manifesto to "increase anti-doping and integrity resources" to catch drug cheats.
It is alleged that a top UK athlete is among seven British competitors with abnormal blood results although it is not Mo Farah or Jessica Ennis-Hill.
Diack claims any suggestion of negligence in the drug testing of athletes is laughable, though.
To say that in athletics between 2001 and 2012 we did not do a serious job with tests is laughable.
Lamine Diack
"There are allegations made but no evidence," he told Sky Sports News HQ. "We want to look into them seriously because to say that in athletics between 2001 and 2012 we did not do a serious job with tests is laughable.
"I do not know what we are dealing with. It’s possible if we discover with new techniques that someone doped."
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will also take strong action against any athletes involved in the scandal which has rocked track and field, according to president Thomas Bach.
He said it is up to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to investigate the claims.
"If there should be cases involving results at Olympic Games, the IOC will react with zero tolerance with our usual policy," Bach said.
"We have full confidence in the inquiry by WADA. If needed, we will follow suit and do everything to protect clean athletes.
If there should be cases involving results at Olympic Games, the IOC will react with zero tolerance with our usual policy.
Thomas Bach
"We made it very clear and we agreed that WADA is our competent centre in the fight against doping and they will inquire into these allegations.
"But at this time, we have nothing more than allegations. We have to respect the presumption of innocence of the athletes."
But WADA President Dick Pound has cast doubt that the independent commission he's chairing will be able to impose any sanctions on the countries involved.
"It’s questionable whether you can impose a sanction based upon the data," he told Sky Sports News HQ.
"At one point the IOC had a rule that you had to solve all problems relating to the previous Games before the opening of the next, so it didn’t go on and on."
