Anti-doping expert questions IAAF in open letter to Lord Coe

An anti-doping expert has written an open letter to Lord Coe accusing the IAAF of lacking the drive to clean up athletics

One of the experts at the centre of allegations the IAAF turned a blind eye to potential mass doping in athletics has written an open letter to Lord Coe.

The letter essentially accuses the world governing body of lacking the drive to clean up the sport.

Michael Ashenden was one of the two anti-doping experts enlisted by the Sunday Times who analysed leaked data belonging to the IAAF, which contained more than 12,000 blood tests from 5,000 athletes, and concluded hundreds of athletes had recorded suspicious results which were not followed up.

The under-fire IAAF has come out fighting in the wake of the allegations, criticising exercise physiologist Ashenden and fellow expert Robin Parisotto, with Coe particularly outspoken.

Coe, who is running for the presidency of the IAAF, called the pair "so-called experts" and branded the allegations a "declaration of war" on athletics.

Ashenden wrote: "Does the IAAF pursue its anti-doping mandate with the same single-minded, all-consuming dedication that athletes adopt in their pursuit of winning? Based on what I saw in the leaked database, my view is 'No'."

The IAAF on Tuesday announced it had suspended 28 unnamed athletes for doping offences at the 2005 and 2007 World Championships. It is understood no Britons are involved.

But, despite its fierce defence of its drug testing record, the organisation has come in for increasing criticism, with the latest allegations further threatening the already fragile reputation of the sport.

In the letter, Ashenden wrote to Coe: "Although you deplore my participation in the revelations by the Sunday Times and (German broadcaster) ARD/WDR, I maintain that had I walked away from an opportunity to agitate for change then I would have betrayed every voiceless athlete who has been cheated out of podium glory since 2001."

The leaked data covered the years from 2001 to 2012. The World Anti-Doping Agency announced an urgent investigation into the claims.

In his letter Ashenden estimated there were "likely to be 500 athletes who cheated, competed, and got away".

And he accused the IAAF of not doing enough to combat the particular problem of widespread doping among Russian athletes.

"It is clear from results in the database that serious problems emerged in Russia around 2005," he wrote.

"Yet the IAAF chose not to join other sports, such as cycling, cross country skiing, biathlon and speed skating, who had adopted 'no start' rules in an attempt to stem the tide."