Lord Coe says 'vast majority of athletes are clean' at Rio Olympics
Thursday 11 August 2016 01:25, UK
Lord Coe says he hopes fans will 'genuinely' find the track and field events at the Rio Olympics exciting and true, despite a difficult last year for the sport.
The president of the International Association of Athletics Federations told a press conference on Wednesday that the majority of competitors in Brazil are clean.
The 59-year-old Englishman was elected president last year but has spent the last 12 months dealing with the worst corruption scandal to hit the IAAF in its history, following the fallout from the Russian doping crisis.
The athletics segment of the Olympic Games starts on Friday and Coe said: "I hope those people watching our sport are watching with hope, excitement and belief.
"Yes, the last year has sorely tested all of us, and it has sorely tested all of our fans and supporters.
The last year has sorely tested all of us, and it has sorely tested all of our fans and supporters
"We have to be mindful of where we have come from but now we have to shape the future.
"So I genuinely hope that people watching will feel that our competitors are doing what their God-given talents enable them to do, and they are doing it clean, which the vast majority are."
