Valentin Balakhnichev, president of the All-Russia Athletics Federation, waves the IAAF flag at a handover ceremony at the International Association of Athletics Federations World Championships in Daegu, 2011. Balakhnichev was on Thursday banned for life for bribes taken to cover up doping failures by Russian athletes. — AFP
Valentin Balakhnichev, president of the All-Russia Athletics Federation, waves the IAAF flag at a handover ceremony at the International Association of Athletics Federations World Championships in Daegu, 2011. Balakhnichev was on Thursday banned for life for bribes taken to cover up doping failures by Russian athletes. — AFP
IAAF judges on Thursday banned for life former Russia athletics chief Valentin Balakhnichev and a son of former world body president Lamine Diack over the blackmailing of athletes who failed doping tests.
The ethics commission also ordered a life ban against former Russian walking coach Alexei Melnikov and a five year suspension for former world body anti-doping doctor Gabriel Dolle.
The panel found that the four “conspired to extort what were in substance bribes from the athlete by acts of blackmail.”
“Any lesser sanction would not meet the gravity of their offences,” the commission added in announcing the bans.
“The life bans announced today could not send a stronger message that those who attempt to corrupt or subvert the sport of athletics will be brought to justice,” said International Association of Athletics Federations president Sebastian Coe.
Papa Massata Diack, Balakhnichev and Melnikov also face fines of between $15,000-$25,000.
Papa Massata Diack and his father Lamine Diack, who stepped down as IAAF president in August, and Balakhnichev are all under investigation by French police over hundreds of thousands of dollars paid to cover up doping offences.
Lamine Diack is alleged to have received $1.1 million alone. His son acted as a marketing consultant to the IAAF until forced to stand down over the scandals. The IAAF ethics commission looked into charges that Russian runner Liliya Shobukhova, who won the 2012 London Olympics women’s marathon, paid more than $600,000 to have her doping violations covered up so she could compete at the Olympics. Melnikov, former national long distance walkers coach, is said to have acted as an intermediary between athletes and Balakhnichev, who was also the IAAF treasurer, and Diack.
Dolle, who like Diack and his father comes from Senegal, played a smaller role in the coverup.
According to the testimony, some $325,000 was paid back to Shobukhova through a Singapore company Black Tidings in 2014 in a bid to obtain her silence over the bribes.
But Shobukhova turned whistleblower for the World Anti-Doping Agency which has been investigating widespread doping in Russian support.
According to the IAAF report, Balakhnichev has given information that at least five other Russian athletes had given cash to cover up doping offences.
