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Lord Coe: IAAF president to be quizzed about doping in athletics

Lamine Diack, Coe’s predecessor as International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) president, is being investigated by French authorities over claims he took bribes to cover up doping offences. “This is the crossroads”.

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Kiplagat was provisionally suspended on Monday for 180 days by the International Association of Athletics Federations along with two senior Kenyan track and field federation colleagues.

Athletics officials in Kenya are under investigation regarding allegations linked to Qatar’s successful bid for the 2019 World Championships, but Coe refused to say if the investigation would widen to the whole bid.

The hearing on Wednesday will be covered by parliamentary privilege, which gives MPs and Coe the freedom to give evidence and make allegations without the risk of civil or criminal proceedings as result of what is said.

“The issue I took exception to was very selective use of data that could not be used to prove positive tests”.

Coe, who became an IAAF vice-president in 2007, denied the IAAF had an “acceptance” of doping.

Radliffe was last week declared innocent of any blood doping by the IAAF and WADA.

Athletics Kenya on Tuesday named former army chief Jackson Tuwei as the new temporary president to replace Isaiah Kiplagat, a day after he was suspended with two other officials by the IAAF ethics commission.

He added: “Because I have the experience to do that”. The former president’s son, Papa Massata Diack, was also accused by prosecutors last month of being “very active” in an alleged “system of corruption” that sought to blackmail athletes, with demands of money to hush-up suspected doping.

“Returning trust will be a longer journey, and probably see out my mandate, ” Coe said.

On how he intends to fight doping in athletics: “Those who cheat will be caught and those who are caught will be thoroughly investigated and the guilty will face the fullest sanctions available”.

Coe believes he can drive through change, and said: “I am absolutely focused on doing that and if we don’t do that, I know there are no tomorrows in our sport”.

Conservative MP Norman said: “Recent events have further underlined the seriousness of the issues raised by blood doping in sports, and the depth of public concern about them”.

Coe last week ended his 38-year ambassadorial role with Nike.

“There has been a tremendous amount of goodwill, and from among the many messages I have received from people who have actually welcomed the inquiry and said they were prepared to come forward with information”, he told AFP.

Coe was speaking during a three-hour grilling by British lawmakers at London’s Houses of Parliament.

Asked if his relationship with Nike represented a conflict of interest, he said: “It would have been if it hadn’t been properly identified”.

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Asked why he engaged in the conversation, given his role with Nike, Coe said: “Because I was asked the question”.

President of the International Association of Athletics Federations, Lord Coe leaves the Houses of Parliament in London after giving evidence to the Commons Culture Media and Sport Committee on blood-doping allegations Wednesday Dec. 2 2015. App