IOC's
Fredericks to remain on IAAF council during probe: Coe
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[March 22, 2017]
By Steve Keating
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Frank Fredericks
will stay on the IAAF Council while an ethics board reviews
allegations that he accepted payments before the awarding of the
2016 Olympics to Rio, Sebastian Coe, the organization's head, said
on Tuesday.
Fredericks, an International Olympic Committee member, stepped down
two weeks ago as head of the team evaluating bids to host the 2024
Olympics and has also removed himself from the IAAF task force
looking into doping in Russia.
Despite the allegations, however, he will remain a member of the
IAAF council while the ethics board determines if an investigation
is necessary.
"We are speaking with Frank; he has stepped aside from the Russian
task force so he has stepped aside from his functions within the
council," Coe told Reuters following a presentation at the Leaders
Sport Business Summit on Tuesday.
Doping and votes-for-pay controversies continue to haunt athletics
as Coe desperately tries to push away the dark clouds by
implementing reforms he hopes will put the spotlight back on the
track.
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Asked if he believed other IAAF council members could be caught up
in the scandal, Coe said he had no idea.
"We are just getting on with delivering sport," said Coe. "We are
the subject of scrutiny and investigation but I can't give you any
insight into that at all."
French prosecutors are investigating whether bribery was involved in
the awarding of the 2021 world athletics championships to the U.S.
city of Eugene and are also looking into several other host city
decisions.
Despite the distractions Coe told an audience of influential sports
business people that he remains focused on restoring confidence and
trust in athletics and returning the sport to its former glory.
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![](../images/032217pics/sports65.jpg)
Chairman of London 2012 Sebastian Coe (L) poses for the media with
Chairman of the IOC Athletes Commission Frank Fredericks as they lay
the last piece of turf on the Olympic Stadium's field of play, in
London, March 29, 2011. REUTERS/Paul Hackett
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While cleaning up years of scandal have taken up much
of Coe's time it is the future that most concerns him and how to
make the sport more attractive to fans and viewers.
He said some hints were provided by the recent Nitro Athletics
Series event in Melbourne won by the Usain Bolt-led team of
international 'All-Stars.'
Coe admitted 'power play' events that award double points to winners
and gimmicks such as the mile eliminations and mixed distance
medleys all played out to rock music soundtrack would leave purists
cringing but change was necessary.
"You don't expect everything you see on the catwalk to ending up on
coat hangers in retail stores," said Coe. "I think Nitro gave us
some clues. We have to do more to connect.
"I saw three nights of full houses. ..most sports have innovative
and we have been slow.
"It was a breath of fresh air." [© 2017 Thomson Reuters. All
rights reserved.]
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