Logical and expected. Implicated in an investigation by Monde on suspicion of corruption in the awarding of the 2016 Games, Frankie Fredericks took a step aside. A first. He resigned from the IAAF taskforce responsible for the reintegration of Russian athletics. The international organization announced this via a press release. The former sprinter himself explains his decision: “I decided to leave the taskforce so that the integrity of its work is not called into question, after the allegations against me in Le Monde. It is important that the mission of this taskforce is perceived as free and fair, without external influence. »
According to the IAAF press release, the withdrawal of Frankie Fredericks was discussed with Sebastian Coe, the president of the International Federation. The Namibian is replaced on the working group by former Slovenian high jumper Rozle Prezelj, the current president of the IAAF Athletes’ Commission. But, specifies the organization, Frankie Fredericks retains his position, certainly very honorary, of honorary president of the said athletes' commission.
In an article published at the end of last week, Le Monde reveals that the Namibian, also a member of the IOC, would have received nearly 300.000 dollars from a company managed by Papa Massata Diack, the son of the former president of the IAAF, currently under arrest warrant international. A payment made on the same day of the IOC vote for the award of the Summer Games in 2016, a vote for which Frankie Frederiks intervened directly as a scrutineer.
Questioned by the French daily, Frankie Fredericks defended himself from any wrongdoing. He explains that the money received from Papa Massata Diack's company concerns various missions carried out on behalf of the IAAF, between 2007 and 2011, for the promotion of athletics in Africa.
Not surprisingly, the other major player in the affair also takes refuge in denial. Questioned by theAFP, Papa Massata Diack (photo below) cries scandal and “unfounded accusations”. He speaks of “relentlessness”, speaks of an unserious journalistic investigation. Asked about his links with the Brazilian company Matlock Capital Group, which allegedly paid $1,5 million into the account of one of its companies three days before the IOC vote, the Senegalese replied only that it was the one of his clients.
The following? In the case of Papa Massata Diack, few twists and turns to expect. Returned immediately to Senegal from the start of the affair, Lamine Diack's son can look to the future without fear and continue to play the innocent. Senegal refuses to extradite him. A position that could be prolonged.
Frankie Fredericks, on the other hand, will undoubtedly have to give up another of his caps very soon. His forced withdrawal from the IAAF taskforce could be followed by another, much more decisive one: his mission as president of the evaluation commission for the 2024 Games. It is hard to imagine, in fact, the Namibian visiting Los Angeles ( April 23 to 25, 2017), then Paris (May 14 to 16), at the head of a group of experts supposed to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the two candidate cities. And it seems just as unlikely that the IOC will keep him in this very exposed and media role. His days at the head of the evaluation commission seem numbered. Otherwise, the IOC would lose even more of its credibility.
