We cannot crack the drugs war, says Coe
LORD COE has admitted that athletics is losing the fight to ban drugs cheats for life after Justin Gatlin’s 100metres World Championship victory over Usain Bolt at the London Stadium. The 35-year-old American endured yet more abuse from the stadium crowd last night as IAAF president Coe presented the twice-convicted doper with his gold medal in person. Coe told the BBC: ‘Sport rarely settles upon the perfect script. It’s not the worst result ever. I’m hardly going to sit here and tell you I’m eulogistic that somebody who has served two bans in our sport would walk
off with one of our glittering prizes, but he is eligible to be here.’ The IAAF switched the time of Gatlin’s medal ceremony from 8pm to 6.50pm — before the London Stadium was at full capacity. The governing body insisted it was ‘nothing to do with the result’ — blaming the confusion over an administrative error. Reflecting on Gatlin’s victory, Coe added: ‘There have been two bans in the past, one which got watered down which made it very difficult for the second ban. ‘The second ban, we went for an eightyear ban which would have in essence been a life ban — we lost that. So these things are suffused in legality. ‘We now have an athletics integrity unit and we need to make sure we do everything we possibly can to toughen up but actually we are bound within the WADA world code. ‘What I take comfort from is that people do care about this and while you have caring you have hope. There is a map in front of us and we have to take it. ‘We are partly caught up by our history, our mandatory nature and the arbitrary judgments the court makes. At the key moment, the IAAF did suggest an eight-year ban and we lost that.’ There were boos for Gatlin when he received his gold — but the abuse was more muted than after he had defeated Bolt and second-placed Christian Coleman the previous evening. Indeed, the booing was eventually replaced by quiet applause from many.