Beleaguered IAAF to double its anti-doping budget to US$8m in an effort to ‘build trust’

Governing body promises to double the anti-doping budget as part of a 10-point “road map” to restore trust in the sport

Reading Time:2 minutes

The IAAF is attempting to mend broken trust ahead of the release of another set of potentially damaging revelations on January 14. Photo: AP

Published: 12:19pm, 6 Jan 2016Updated: 12:19pm, 6 Jan 2016

The governing body of world athletics has promised to double the anti-doping budget as part of a 10-point “road map” to restore trust in the sport.

I am president of an international federation which is under serious investigations and I represent a sport under intense scrutiny

Sebastian Coe

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) released a statement on Tuesday outlining five steps for “building trust in the governing body” and five more for “building trust in competition”.

The measures include increasing the anti-doping budget to $8 million, doubling the international testing pool of athletes to 1,000 and establishing a separate integrity unit for track and field.

The aim of the plan, according to the IAAF, is to make the governing body “an accountable, responsible and responsive organisation”.

A report at the end of last year by the independent commission of the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) threw the sport into turmoil with a series of serious allegations made against the governing body. Photo: Reuters

The sport was plunged into crisis at the end of last year after an initial report by the independent commission of the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) detailed systematic, state-sponsored doping and related corruption in Russia.

The IAAF itself has also been beset by corruption allegations regarding the taking of bribes to cover up doping.

Retired president Lamine Diack, who has now been succeeded by Sebastian Coe, was last month placed under formal investigation by French authorities on suspicion of corruption and money laundering.