The job of president of an international sports federation is definitely no longer what it used to be. Only yesterday, it was akin to the mission of a head of state, with the honors and deference specific to the function. Today, the task is increasingly to avoid blows and watch your back. At the start of the Olympic year, Sebastian Coe could be looking at the horizon with impatience to experience his first Games in the shoes of the boss of world athletics. Instead, the new president of the IAAF, appointed last August to succeed Lamine Diack, is reduced to repairing with his own hands a ship that is taking on water from all sides.
As proof, his first speech of the year, published Tuesday January 5 on the official IAAF website. A long text titled without nuance with these three words: restore confidence. Seb Coe presents his ideas to restore shine to the image of an institution and a sport damaged by doping cases, corruption scandals and press revelations. A roadmap, in the most laborious sense of the term, where the Briton promises in particular to double the budget devoted to the fight against doping and to greatly increase the number of controls and athletes monitored.
Sebastian Coe explains it explicitly, this return to confidence requires a double effort, towards the IAAF institution and towards its competitions. For each, a 5-point plan. Here is the detail.
Restoring confidence in the governing body of world athletics
1. Restructuring of the governing body with a clear definition of responsibilities.
Timetable: it began immediately after the presidential election and will end mid-year with the appointment of a new Secretary General.
2. A legal and accounting audit.
Timeline: A financial and legal audit of the IAAF by Deloitte & Freshfields began in November at IAAF headquarters. He is placed under the supervision of Paul Deighton, former head of LOCOG and former British government minister. Submission of the report at the IAAF Council meeting in March. Expected to end mid-year.
3. Greater accountability and more rigorous selection of IAAF officials.
Timeline: the verification process should be completed and new commissions and working groups established by mid-year.
4. Greater transparency and communication from the independent IAAF Ethics Committee (formerly Commission).
Timeline: Amendments to the Rules of Procedure and Statutes of the IAAF Ethics Commission approved by the IAAF Council on 26 November with immediate effect.
5. Rewrite the Constitution to modernize it and ensure that it serves its purpose and provides necessary guidelines and protection.
Timeline: This process is ongoing, but a new Constitution requires approval from IAAF Member Federations. The next IAAF Congress will take place in London in August 2017.
Restore confidence in competitions
1. Creation of a separate integrity unit for our sport which provides greater autonomy and which reviews the main issues affecting the integrity of the competition, namely doping, corruption, betting and age falsifications.
Timeline: Integrity Unit to be operational before the 2016 Olympic Games
2. Double the anti-doping budget (from $4 million to $8 million).
Timeline: depending on the establishment of the integrity unit in mid-2016
3. Double the number of tests at the international level to bring it to a thousand athletes.
Timeline: depending on the establishment of the integrity unit and the doubling of the budget in mid-2016
4. Dedicate more resources to investigations into doping in athletics involving support staff, including employing specific expertise within the Integrity Unit.
Timeline: from the creation of the integrity unit and doubling of the budget in mid-2016
5. Ensure greater accountability of Member Federations in the fight against doping and any other matter relating to integrity with closer monitoring by the IAAF. Impose sanctions by the IAAF Council in the event of serious misconduct (e.g. suspension of affiliation or ineligibility for major championships).
Timetable: with immediate effect
