Athletics - Former WADA official to head new Athletics Integrity
Unit
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[April 05, 2017]
By Karolos Grohmann
AARHUS, Denmark (Reuters) - Former
senior World Anti-Doping Agency official David Howman was appointed
on Wednesday as head of the newly established Athletics Integrity
Unit to battle doping and corruption amid a drop in the sport's
popularity.
International athletics federation (IAAF) President Seb Coe said
Howman, who was director general at WADA for 13 years until 2016,
was the perfect choice to chair the AIU.
The AIU takes over from the IAAF’s former anti-doping department and
will manage testing, intelligence gathering and investigations among
other things.
It will also address issues of bribery, corruption, betting and the
manipulation of competition results in athletics.
"The AIU is all about the athlete. It is our responsibility to
create the right framework for everyone to succeed," Coe said.
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"I am therefore delighted that we have attracted someone of the
caliber and experience of David Howman as chairperson, as we set out
to create a place where athletes can understand the rules and gain
knowledge, confidence and experience."
Coe is hoping to reform the IAAF following the departure of his
predecessor Lamine Diack in 2015, who is the subject of an ongoing
French investigation into corruption and embezzlement.
He passed sweeping reforms late last year, including the
establishment of the AIU.
"I want athletics to be on every observable metric a top four sport
in the next four years," Coe, a former Olympic track and field
champion, said at an international sports convention.
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![](../images/040517pics/sports59.jpg)
David Howman talks to reporters at the WADA symposium in Lausanne,
Switzerland, March 14, 2016. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse
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The IAAF still has many unresolved issues, however, and has
triggered the wrath of Russia after it banned its athletics team
from competing at last year's Rio de Janeiro Olympics over the
country's huge doping scandal.
The Russians are also likely to miss the world athletics
championships in London in August.
The IAAF said this week it had suffered a cyber attack by suspected
Russian hackers who had targeted information concerning applications
by athletes for Therapeutic Use Exemptions.
(Editing by Hugh Lawson) [© 2017 Thomson Reuters. All
rights reserved.]
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