Lamine Diack Resigns from International Athletics Foundation

Nov 10, 2015 by Taylor Dutch

After being arrested for corruption and money-laundering charges a week ago, former IAAF President Lamine Diack has resigned from his post as president of the International Athletics Foundation, the charitable arm of the IAAF.

According to a report by The Associated Press, the IAAF received a letter of resignation from Diack who had been president of the foundation since 1999. The foundation’s responsibilities include organizing sponsors, courses, conferences, and exhibitions as well as the World Athletics Gala. This year’s gala was canceled four days ago after the investigation began.

Lamine Diack's CV continues to take a beating pic.twitter.com/VZf8sBxs5D
— Christopher Clarey (@christophclarey) November 10, 2015

Diack was arrested last Sunday on corruption and money-laundering charges, namely the suspicion that the former president had taken over $1 million in bribes from Russia to cover up positive doping tests. Diack, along with several other IAAF officials were suspected of taking money in 2011 to allow at least six Russian athletes to continue competing. Some earned medals at the London Olympics.

Following the French prosecutor’s investigation into the former president of the IAAF, the World Anti-Doping Agency published an independent report on Monday. “The Independent Commission Report #1” is a 323-page report that reveals “state-sponsored” systematic doping practices in Russia.

Based on the report findings, WADA announced their recommendation for the IAAF to suspend Russia from all international track and field competition.

The report revealed evidence of systematic doping and cover-ups in a “deeply rooted culture of cheating,” that was “worse than we thought,” according to former WADA president Dick Pound.

The investigation began in December 2014 when the German broadcasting group ARD alleged that former Chicago Marathon Champion Liliya Shobuhova paid the Russian Athletics Federation over half a million dollars to cover up a positive doping test.

The report recommended that the International Olympic Committee not accept entries from the Russian federation until they are proven to be compliant.

One day after publishing the report, WADA suspended the accreditation of the Moscow Anti-Doping Center. The suspension is effective immediately, but is subject to appeal from Moscow, who has 21 days to bring their case before the Court of Arbitration.

In the aftermath of the investigation, WADA is seeking lifetime bans for five Russian coaches and athletes. Olympic gold and bronze medalists Mariya Savinova and Ekaterina Poistogova, respectively, are at the center of the investigation as the commission said that the London Olympics were “sabotaged” by the inaction of the Russian Federation and the IAAF to stop suspicious athletes from competing.

Savinova and Poistogova covered 2/3 of the 800m medal podium at the London Olympic Games. If the athletes receive lifetime bans, American Alysia Montano could potentially be upgraded to four World and Olympic medals from competition in 2010-2013.

Medals I could be upgraded to: 2010 Silver 2011 Bronze 2012 Olympic Bronze 2013 Bronze
— Alysia Montaño (@AlysiaMontano) November 9, 2015

Moscow testing director Gregory Rodchenkov was also recommended for a lifetime ban as he “personally instructed and authorized” 1,417 doping control samples to be destroyed.

The report alleges that Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko is heavily involved in the cover-up as well as the Russian government. According to the report, Mutko ordered samples to be manipulated. Since Mutko reports directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the report suggests that the cover-up scandal goes all the way up to the top of the country’s leadership chain.

Both Mutko and Putin denied the allegations as a spokesperson for the president called the report “unfounded.”