Coe hopes for fun second term after IAAF re-election

Six women voted to council

DOHA, Sept 25, (RTRS): After a turbulent four years, Sebastian Coe hopes his second term as head of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) will be the “fun bit” but first he still has to grapple with the continuing Russian doping scandal.

Before Coe was re-elected as president unopposed on Wednesday, the IAAF congress voted overwhelmingly (164-30) not to reinstate Russia over reports that antidoping data from a tainted Moscow laboratory had been tampered with before being handed over to the World AntiDoping Agency (WADA).

Russia’s athletics federation (RUSAF) was originally suspended in November 2015 after a report commissioned by WADA found evidence of widespread doping in the sport.

Like Coe’s unopposed selection as president, the Russian decision was not a surprise with the IAAF having announced on Monday that Russia will miss the world athletics championships for the second time in succession.

Coe said 30 Russians with Authorised Neutral Athletes (ANA) status will compete in Doha and is confident they will be clean but noted that the system now needs to be under review following the new revelations.

“We, to the best of our ability, are confident that those 30 athletes here (are clean),” said Coe. “They have been through the AIU (Athletic Integrity Unit) system, they have been through the doping review board, which we set up to individually look at these cases.

“We are really satisfied that is a safe and secure system.

“I always wanted to find a navigable route through that separated the clean

Coe

athlete from the tainted system. “This now has to be under review.” Despite a long list of challenges, Coe’s first four-year term got a positive review if Wednesday’s vote is any reflection with all 203 members voting for the re-election of the two-time Olympic gold medallist.

Coe acknowledged there is more work ahead but hopes much of it will deal with the on field product rather than Russia, allegations of corruption regarding his predecessor Lamine Diack and other issues that have detracted from the action.

“It’s been a tough four years there is no point in being naive or coy about that,” said Coe ahead of the world championships which open on Friday.

“I am pleased to have gotten here having implemented everything we said we would do and I want the next four years to be the fun bit really.

“I hope in four years time, when we are sitting here, we are looking back at the same level of delivery that we’ve had in the first four years but we are actually focused on the field of play.”

While progress has been plodding in ridding the sport of drug cheats, the IAAF took a step forward in gender equality on Wednesday voting in its first female vice-president and placing six women to the 13-member council.

Sprinter Ximena Restrepo, who won Colombia’s first Olympic medal in athletics at the 1992 Barcelona Summer Games taking the bronze in the 400 metres, made history by becoming the first woman elected a IAAF vice-president.

“It’s a great moment for me and country,” said Restrepo. “I really think that we the women are now having more opportunities than we had before, now we seven women on council and that is a big number and I am very happy about that.”

Jordan Eberle got his fourth goal of the preseason in the third period for the Islanders. Thomas Greiss stopped 27 shots.

In Sunrise, Florida, Aleksander Barkov had two goals and an assist to help the Florida Panthers beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-3.

Jonathan Huberdeau, Dominic Toninato, Denis Malgin and Frank Vatrano also scored for Florida. Sergei Bobrovsky started and stopped 12 of 14 shots in his half of the game, and Chris Driedger finished with seven saves.

In St Louis, Jason Dickinson and John Klingberg scored to lead the Dallas

San Jose Sharks’ Jonny Brodzinski (22) collides with Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson during the first period of a preseason NHL hockey game on Sept 24 in Anaheim, California. (AP)

Stars to a 2-1 win over the defending champions Blues.

Dickinson got the Stars on the scoreboard at 7:56 of the first, and Klingberg’s power-play goal with 3:24 left in the second made it 2-0.

Ryan O’Reilly cut the Blues’ deficit in half with a tip-in with 4:43 left in the third.

Landon Bow started in goal for Dallas and stoped all 15 shots he faced in the first two periods. Jake Oettinger had 13 saves in the third.

Jake Allen had 16 shots for St Louis, who earlier in the day acquired defenseman Justin Faulk in a trade with Carolina.

Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany walks with his crew after taking third place in the qualifying session for the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix at the Marina Bay City Circuit in Singapore on Sept 21. (AP)

In Calgary, Alberta, Sean Monahan and Sam Bennett scored 33 seconds apart in the second period, and the Flames beat the Winnipeg Jets 2-0.

Monahan scored a power-play goal to get the Flames on the scoreboard with 6:23 left in the middle period. Bennett doubled the lead with 5:50 to go.

David Rittich had 20 saves for the Flames.

In Anaheim, California, Jakob Silfverberg had a goal and an assist, John Gibson made 31 saves, and the Ducks beat the San Jose Sharks 4-1.

Brendan Guhle also had a goal and an assist, and Andreas Martinen and Derek Grant also scored for the Ducks.

Jonny Brodzinski scored for San Jose, and Aaron Dell made 33 saves.

In Edmonton, Alberta, Adin Hill made 38 saves to help the Arizona Coyotes beat the Oilers 4-2.

Lawson Crouse, Michael Bunting, Michael Grabner and Derek Stepan each scored for the Coyotes. Clayton Keller, Vinnie Hinostraza, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Kyle Capobianco each had an assist.