Statement of the European Athletics President Svein Arne Hansen on IAAF Response to Doping Allegations.
European Athletics welcomes yesterday’s clear and educative response of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) to the documentary broadcast on the German ARD/WRD network and articles published by The Sunday Times last weekend, both of which contained serious allegations about doping in athletics.
Whilst ensuring that athletics is free of doping and seen to be fair and clean remains a major challenge for our whole sport, we are heartened by the IAAF’s demonstration of its integrity and transparency. We view the statement as a big step in the process of informing the public about the IAAF’s commitment and, importantly, its leadership in this area.
We call on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to complete its announced investigation into this matter and provide independent confirmation for the position and assertions of the IAAF.
The dialogue now open in the media should continue as it is necessary for progress to be made in the combat against doping and all forms of cheating in sport. We see this as a moment where it is possible to underline the true values of athletics.
But it is important that future discussions are of facts and hard evidence rather than half-truths or sensationalist claims designed to appeal to audiences that might otherwise not be engaged.
For our part, we will continue our policy of zero tolerance for doping as well as the expansion of our anti-doping education programme and the exploration of the development of a license system that ensures only those athletes who have gone through the programme are eligible to compete in the championships and other events we stage.
We will also continue to give our full support to the efforts of the IAAF and WADA, including new ideas that we are currently preparing that will help to up the ante in this all-important fight. I will be elaborating on these ideas in my first IAAF Council meeting after the World Championships in Athletics.