Son of IAAF president Diack resigns amid doping probe

The son of IAAF president Lamine Diack has stepped down from his activities with athletics’ world governing body pending an investigation into allegations of a cover-up of doping in Russia.

Papa Massata Diack, a marketing consultant for the IAAF, joins Valentin Balakhnichev, president of the Russian athletics federation and IAAF’s treasurer, in agreeing to step down. IAAF legal adviser Habib Cisse has also taken similar action, after a German television expose alleging IAAF officials were implicated in covering up the doping in Russia.

The move comes after the IAAF’s executive board met on Wednesday. The governing body’s ethics committee is investigating the allegations.

The controversy is now set to play an interesting role in the election to succeed Lamine Diack next August. Seb Coe, the double Olympic 1500m champion and chairman of the British Olympic Association, is running and is expected to be challenged by his fellow IAAF vice-president Sergei Bubka, from Ukraine.