AFP, Beijing :
Sergey Bubka has spread his chances in what promises to be a tight race for the IAAF presidency with Sebastian Coe, having also put himself forward in the contest to continue in his vice-president’s role should he fail.
Coe, like Bubka also a vice president of the International Association of Athletics Federations, is standing solely for president, with incumbent Lamine Diack stepping down after 16 years in charge.
Bubka’s gamble of a double nomination has split opinion: is it a clear sign that the Ukrainian fears he might lose against charismatic Coe? Or is it a clear reaffirmation that he is completely dedicated to track and field and will serve the sport no matter what?
Certainly, Bubka, who famously set the world pole vault record 35 times in his sparkling career, claims the latter, insisting that he wants to remain at the IAAF even if two-time 1500m Olympic champion Coe wins, with the final vote coming at a congress ahead of the August 22-30 World Athletics Championships in Beijing.
The Ukrainian, who won Olympic gold and six outdoor and four indoor world titles, is a hardliner when it comes to doping, a blight on athletics which has again resurfaced ahead of the worlds with allegations of abnormalities in IAAF blood testing results.
“Zero tolerance for doping,” is Bubka’s simple catchphrase, reiterated in his fluent English to a select group of media outlets including AFP in a recent visit to Paris.
Unlike Coe, Bubka wants the IAAF to continue working closely with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the Briton keen to set up an independent body to monitor drugs controls. “I can see being with WADA being the most successful because the governments can contribute financially and also offer scientific and medical expertise with government involvement, INTERPOL, we need that,” he argued.
