by Larry Eder
Stephanie Hightower, Sebastian Coe, Frankie Fredericks, photo by PhotoRun.net
Much went on November 26 in Monaco. Here is the compiled report from our friends at EME News. Note that their sources are noted in notes plus IAAF and our friends at L’Equipe.
MONACO (MON): Other awards announced on Thursday by the IAAF. The IAAF Rising Star Award went to sprinters and World Youth Champions. Japanese Abdul Hakim Sani Brown and US Candace Hill. The IAAF Golden Shoe Award presented by Adidas went to Ethiopian 5000 m World champion Almaz Ayana as top performance of the Beijing World Championships. Dutch coach Bert Bennema (Schippers) will recieve the IAAF Coaching Achievement Award. The IAAF World Journalist Award was given to Pat Butcher of Great Britain who covered all World Championships and Olympic Games since 1980. Masters of the Year are British middle distance runner David Heath (50+ category) and Germa Silke Schmidt (55+ category).
MONACO (MON): IAAF Council was informed that written confirmation had been received from ARAF accepting their full suspension without requesting a hearing as was their constitutional right. ARAF confirmed they understood that Council would only accept their reinstatement as an IAAF Member following the recommendation of the IAAF Inspection team who will decide if the verification criteria have been fulfilled. ARAF confirmed they will cooperate fully and actively with the team. “We will cooperate with nominated Commission very actively. I hope for a positive result after certain time and full come back to the IAAF Family,” said in a letter ARAF General Secretary Mikhail Butov who is also IAAF Council member but was not present on Thursday in Monaco. Council discussed the process which over the next three weeks will lead to a final set of criteria and the verification process. The plan is to present a detailed list of verification criteria to ARAF by the end of the year. First visit of the IAAF inspection team to Russia could happen early January next year.
MONACO (MON): At the 202nd IAAF Council meeting also the formation of an IAAF Integrity Unit was confirmed. The meeting was chaired by IAAF President Sebastian Coe. Two members were absent: individual member Mikhail Butov and African Area Association representative David Okeyo. In his opening address Sebastian Coe said: “We must work hard to restore trust and to show the real values and potential of Athletics. We have a unique opportunity now to face the future with optimism. Let us make sure that we have the right people, in the right places and the right structure to take the sport to a better place.” Council agreed to the formation of an Integrity Unit to keep Athletics clean and to safeguard the integrity of the IAAF. Reports were presented to Council from all the IAAF departments. The annual contract which provided a permanent serviced apartment in the five star Fairmont Hotel for the President’s use had been cancelled immediately. The IAAF President’s office ‘Villa Miraflores’ has also been closed and handed back to the Principality of Monaco. All IAAF staff personnel formerly based there have now transferred to the IAAF HQ Office on Quai Antoine.
MONACO (MON): IAAF council agreed a process for the reallocation of the two IAAF World Athletics Series competitions – 2016 World Race Walking Team Championships (Cheboksary, RUS) and 2016 World Junior Championships (Kazan, RUS) which have been removed from Russia due to ARAF’s suspension. A number of countries have already expressed interest in staging these events. An accelerated bidding process will open next week with a decision in early January.
MONACO (MON): IAAF President Sebastian Coe encouraged all his Council colleagues to complete their declarations of interest and, as he said he would do, announced changes to his registration of interests. He has stepped down from his ambassador role with Nike as the current noise level around this ambassadorial role was not good for the IAAF nor Nike. He is Chairman of CSM, one of the world’s largest sports marketing agencies operating in 19 countries. Although CSM’s revenue from athletics is negligible, the company has agreed that it will not tender for, nor directly work for the IAAF, nor any city in relation to their tender to the IAAF while he is President of the IAAF. He will step down as Chairman of the British Olympic Association at the conclusion of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
MONACO (MON): L´Équipe informs that father of anti-doping fight Swedish medical expert Arne Ljungqvist will succeed Lamine Diack as President of International Athletics Foundation (IAF). Ljungqvist (84) was IAAF Vice President for a long period 1981-2011 and is currently also Vice President of the foundation. IAF among other activities (supporting several projects around the World) is also organising every year the World Athletics Gala which was cancelled this year due to current issues.
MONACO (MON): The six new members who have been appointed to join the Athletes’ Commission for the period 2016-2019 are Fabiana Murer, Paula Radcliffe, Alina Talay, Ashton Eaton, Michael Frater and Ezekiel Kemboi. A new chairperson will be decided by the commission when they hold their next meeting in January/February 2016 (date tbc.). Frank Fredericks, the out-going chairperson, will continue in an honorary capacity to assist the commission during the transition and in their general contact with the IAAF Council. The IAAF Athletes’ Commission is made up of 18 members, 12 of whom are elected by their peers and six appointed by the IAAF. The other 12 members are for period 2013-2017 Hussain Taher Al Sabee, Tommi Evila, Habiba Ghribi, Jennifer Joyce, Rozle Prezelj and Matej Toth and for 2016-2019 Valerie Adams, Mutaz Essa Barshim, Yelena Isinbayeva, Andreas Thorkildsen, Christian Olsson and Koji Murofushi. The commission has now in total 18 members.
