Athletics
TRIAL OF FORMER IAAF BOSS, LAMINE DIACK SUFFERS DELAY
The trial of former International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) President Lamine Diack in Paris has been delayed until June after prosecutors received documents concerning testimony from his son and co-defendant Papa Massata Diack.
Diack, accused of corruption, influence-trafficking and money laundering in a case linked to the Russian doping scandal, will remain in France before the trial resumes after his lawyers’ request for him to return to Senegal was rejected.
The 86-year-old, who is alleged to have covered up positive drugs tests from Russian athletes, appeared at the Tribunal de Grand Instance de Paris for a trial which had been scheduled to run three days a week until January 23.
But the case, which could have far-reaching consequences for world sport, has now been adjourned after the national financial prosecutor’s office was handed documents relating to evidence given by Papa Massata Diack in November.
Prosecutors asked for more time to review the new evidence from Papa Massata, who did not appear at the trial as he refuses to be extradited from Senegal.
They said they received three folders of notes – which reportedly include testimony Papa Massata gave to investigators in Senegal – only hours before the start of the hearing in the French capital.
The dramatic twist postpones Diack’s eagerly-awaited trial, where he is standing alongside former advisor Habib Cisse and Gabriel Dolle – the former anti-doping chief at the IAAF, since rebranded as World Athletics.
Cisse and Dolle were also present at the hearing.
Diack, IAAF President from 1999 to 2015, denies the allegations but is facing the remainder of his life in jail as the charges against him carry a maximum prison sentence of 10 years.
Former Russian Athletics Federation President Valentin Balakhnichev and Alexei Melnikov, the former head Russian athletics distance coach, are also due to stand trial but have refused to cooperate with the long-running French investigation.
It began in November 2015 when Diack was placed under formal investigation on suspicion of corruption and money laundering.
Investigations by the French Financial Prosecutor’s Office in 2018 also include allegations that Diack obtained Russian funds for political campaigns in Senegal, in exchange for the IAAF anti-doping arm covering up Russian offences.
The deal also facilitated negotiations with Russian sponsors and broadcasters before the World Athletics Championships in Moscow in 2013.
Papa Massata Diack was banned for life by the IAAF in January 2016, alongside Balakhnichev and Alexei Melnikov.
It came after he was charged in relation to payments totalling around £435,000 ($554,000/€496,000) made by Russia’s Liliya Shobukhova, the 2010 London Marathon winner and a three-time Chicago Marathon champion, in order to cover up doping violations.
-insidethegames
Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan is the winner as the Court of Arbitration for Sports, CAS has rejected the appeals filed by World Athletics and WADA.
The decision confirms the decision taken by the World Athletics disciplinary tribunal finding that Tobi Amusan did not commit any anti-doping rule violation.
Here is the full statement of CAS.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has dismissed the appeals filed by
World Athletics (WA) and by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) against the decision issued on 17 August 2023 (the Challenged Decision) by the World Athletics Disciplinary Tribunal (WADT) in relation to the hurdler Oluwatobiloba (Tobi) Amusan (Nigeria).
Accordingly, the Challenged Decision in which the WADT considered that Tobi Amusan did not violate Rule 2.4 of the WA Anti-Doping Rules (WA ADR) and that no period of ineligibility should be imposed on the Athlete is confirmed.
The Athlete was initially charged with committing an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) under Rule 2.4 WA ADR following three alleged Whereabouts Failures within a 12-month period.
In their respective appeal to CAS, WA and WADA had sought the imposition of a two-year period of ineligibility. The CAS Panel held a hearing on 19 January 2024. Having deliberated, the CAS Panel has issued its decision today dismissing both appeals. The CAS Panel unanimously acknowledged that the Athlete committed two filing failures but did not confirm the existence of a missed test, alleged by WA and WADA, which would have been the third Whereabouts Failure committed within a 12-month
period. Accordingly, the CAS Panel concluded that the Athlete did not commit an ADRV and that the Challenged Decision should be confirmed.
The reasoned award will be published by CAS unless the parties request confidentiality.
Nigeria’s Paris 2024 medal hopeful, Tobi Amusan has been cleared as the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) has dismissed the appeal filed by World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the World Athletics.
She is therefore cleared to feature at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Amusan is the 100m hurdles world record holder.
The athlete was charged in July last year with missing three anti-doping tests in 12 months but was cleared of the offence by the Disciplinary Tribunal of the sport’s governing body, World Athletics.
The Integrity Unit of the World Athletics appealed the clearance which has now been dismissed by CAS, the final arbiter in the case.
CAS in its statement remarked that its panel “unanimously acknowledged that the athlete committed two filing failures but did not confirm the existence of a missed test, alleged by WA and WADA, which would have been the third Whereabouts Failure committed within 12 months.”
Amusan set the world record of 12.12 seconds in the world championships in Eugene, Oregon, in July 2022 and went on to win the title.
She finished sixth in the world championships in Budapest last year.
World Athletics’ anti-doping rules say any athlete failing to declare their whereabouts for a doping test on three occasions over 12 months is ineligible to compete for two years.
An elated Nigeria’s 100m hurdles world record holder, Tobi Amusan has thanked God for her success in an appeal filled against her by the Athletics Integrity Unit of the World Athletics.
Had the appeal been upheld, ,Amusan would have has to miss the Paris 2024 Olymoics.
“It’s ALL GOD” Amusan said in an Instagram post alongside the court’s announcement.
Amusan, who broke the world record during her semi-final race at the 2022 world championships, is a hot favourite in her signature event at the Paris Olympics, which begin on July 26.
World Athletics and WADA did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
This is my story: Odegbami on how he is stranded in London
BREAKING! Odegbami stranded in London as saboteurs cause travel chaos in France before Opening Ceremony
Host club at Super Falcons’ Olympic match venue, Bordeaux is bankrupt
Breaking! Uzoho suspended from Super Eagles’ next match with Sierra Leone
No longer Super League as CAF changes name of its new clubs competition
AIU releases its report on Tobi Amusan
-
Nigerian Football1 week agoI prefer a foreign coach for the Super Eagles, says Amaju
-
Olympics5 days agoBrazilian women train in Zidane’s birthplace ahead of Nigeria Super Falcons clash
-
Premier League1 week agoNigerian-born Man United’s new striker promises creativity and unpredictability to fans
-
Olympics13 hours agoThis is my story: Odegbami on how he is stranded in London
-
Nigerian Football1 week agoOsimhen’s outburst was a moment of madness, says Amaju
-
OBITUARY1 day agoBREAKING! Former Heartland FC owner, Iwuanyanwu, dies at 81
-
Olympics6 days agoTeams plan for lack of toilets on Paris opening ceremony barges
-
Olympics1 week agoWhat you need to know about the Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony