Qatar Athletics Federation Requests 2017 Bid Investigation

(ATR) IAAF president Sebastian Coe referred the Doha 2017 world championship bid to the IAAF ethics commission at the request of the Qatar Athletics Federation, Around the Rings has learned.

Doha, Qatar lost out on the opportunity to host the 2017 IAAF outdoor world championship to London but redeemed its effort by winning its 2019 bid for the championship.

On Monday, UK Athletics chief Ed Warner announced both the 2017 and 2019 bids would be scrutinized by the ethics board.

"I’ve had a number of discussions with the IAAF and they have told me the 2017 and 2019 bids by Doha have now been referred to their ethics commission," Warner told members of Parliament. "My next conversation will be with the ethics commission to lay out all I heard."

On Jan. 17, Warner told the BBC he had heard a senior IAAF official describe how members of the IAAF Council were receiving ‘brown envelopes’ on the night the IAAF decided the 2017 host.

As chairman of the London bid team, Warner was outraged by the implication of bribery in the contest. His bid team also had to match the QAF offer to cover the $7.2 million prize money necessary to host the event. Warner says if the QAF did attempt to bribe officials then UK Athletics should get back the $7.2 million it put up, an offer that turned out to be the deciding factor in the vote.

"If I was up against a bid that in any way, shape or form wasn’t straight, then really I should have that money back, so I welcome any investigation into all the bidding processes because I would love to believe it was a level playing field," says Warner.

According to IAAF officials, the QAF request to investigate the 2017 bid was made between Warner’s comments to the BBC and Coe’s meeting with the QAF in Doha on Jan. 22. Details regarding the 2019 referral are still unknown.

This is the latest investigation by the federation working diligently to correct its image currently tainted by doping and governance scandals that began with WADA Independent Commission expose on doping in Russia.

The All-Russia Athletics Federation is now trying to satisfy its reinstatement conditions to rejoin the IAAF family following its suspension. If all conditions are met prior to August, Russian athletes could once again compete at Rio 2016.

UK Anti-Doping chief executive Nicole Sapstead is doubtful ARAF could make all the necessary changes in such a short time-frame.

"What we have seen is so entrenched that this isn’t an overnight solution," said Sapstead. "I think it will take a number of years before any credibility can be attached to their programs and the potentially the credibility of the performances."

Warner believes Russian athletes should not be allowed re-entry to the Games even if reinstatement conditions are met in time.

"Do I think that [the athletics team from] Russia should be back in their team for Rio, no I don’t, not at all," Warner told Parliament.

Warner is seeking a tougher standard when it comes to doping violations by athletes. Ahead of Rio 2016, Warner is drafting a team contract for Great Britain that states athletes guilty of serious doping violations will be banned from the sport for life.

Written by KevinNutley

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