On Tuesday evening, a leaked internal Nike email appeared to show him supporting the bid of Eugene – the USA city with close links to the company – to host the 2021 IAAF World Athletics Championships.
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“It is clear in that perception and reality have become horribly mangled”, he stated.
When elected as the IAAF president in August, Lord Coe indicated he would resist calls to give up his £100,000 a year ambassadorial role with the United States multinational but has since said he will review all his relationships by the end of the year.
The most severe punishment ever handed out by the International Association of Athletics Federations was made formal at a meeting of the world body’s governing council in Monaco on Thursday. “Frankly, it is a distraction to the 18-hour days that I and my teams are working to steady the ship”.
“I sought the view of the [IAAF] ethics committee – they were very clear that it would have been possible to continue [as a Nike ambassador]”.
“I was asked specifically about my view of what was happening (around the hosting of the championships)”.
But it was denied the chance when Diack and the IAAF Council – including Coe – voted to abandon a bidding process.
Coe said he always thought there would be a bidding process until Diack told the Council “there were political and financial considerations in terms of the way the funding package came together for Eugene that may not be present again and we should award 2021 to Eugene”.
By accepting the IAAF suspension and waiving its right to a hearing, Russian Federation signaled that it wants the process that could lead to its reinstatement to move forward quickly. Their athletes are now unlikely to compete in the World Indoor Championships in Portland in March.
Stephanie Hightower, president of the U.S. track and field federation, said Coe had their full support, with the accent on winning back not only fans but athletes themselves.
UK Sport provides money from its worldwide relations budget to promote British sports leaders bid for positions in world organisations, and it covered the cost of the Vero Communications consultancy of £52,000 plus Value-Added Tax which was part of Coe’s bid to take over the leadership of world athletics.
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Fredericks also confirmed the appointment of six new members of the athletes’ commission – Fabiana Murer, Paula Radcliffe, Alina Talay, Michael Frater, Ezekiel Kemboi and Eaton – to serve between 2016 and 2019.
