The outgoing president of international athletics has defended the organisation’s record on drug-testing and called the latest doping allegations “a joke”.
Lamine Diack, who steps down as IAAF president at the end of August, also questioned whether there would be any redistribution of Olympic medals.
Statement on allegations related to IAAF anti-doping http://t.co/tfxDVJISBC
— IAAF (@iaaforg) August 2, 2015
It comes after German broadcaster ARD/WDR and British newspaper the Sunday Times gained access to a database containing more than 12,000 blood tests from 5,000 athletes.
They claim more than 800 athletes have had suspicious blood tests and that a third of all medals in endurance events at recent Olympics and world championships went to competitors who had a “dubious” blood count result during their career.
Diack, speaking in Kuala Lumpur, said: “There is a film and a newspaper who are asking questions. We are going to answer them all.
“But it (doesn’t mean) just because someone has a suspicious profile once that he was doped. When people say that there are medals to be redistributed from 2001 to 2012, it’s just a farce.
“They are playing with the idea of a redistribution of medals. It’s possible, if we prove with the new techniques at our disposal that someone doped. Otherwise, it’s a joke. Just three weeks before the world championships, there is something behind [this].
– VIDEO: WADA president ‘concerned’ by doping allegations
– Athletics: IAAF power struggle behind Russian doping allegations
– Athletics: ‘Leaked’ results point to new athletics doping scandal
“No one has been destabilised, we are stronger than that. Everything that has been done in the fight against doping has been made by IAAF.”
IOC president Thomas Bach has vowed “zero tolerance” for any Olympics athletics results tainted by doping, but admits the reports are merely allegations and that they must” respect the presumption of innocence for the athletes.”
It is the second time in seven months that the IAAF has been thrown onto the defensive by doping. An ARD documentary in December claimed there was widespread doping in Russian athletics.
Both sets of allegations are being investigated by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) which said it was “very alarmed”.
Russia’s Yekaterina Poistogova, who took bronze in the women’s 800m at the 2012 Olympics and who has been named as one of the drug cheaters in the documentary, rejected any wrongdoing.
The World Anti-Doping Agency president & IAAF vice-president have had their say on the latest doping scandal #SSNHQ pic.twitter.com/zbDL84hhVw
— Sky Sports News HQ (@SkySportsNewsHQ) August 2, 2015
“I haven’t seen the film and have no intention of watching it,” she said. “I undergo doping controls on a regular basis and there is no point to prove anything once again.
“But this fact is annoying as before the Diamond League stage in Stockholm I was called to WADA for questioning. I went there to give my explanations.
“I have nothing to hide. I don’t believe a single word in this film, it’s nothing but lies.”
The All-Russian Athletics Federation said in a statement that it was “seriously concerned” by the claims and was examining the material.
