IAAF gives OK to broad reforms

Sebastian Coe declared an “historic” new dawn for the scandalwounded governing body of track and field after its members overwhelmingly backed his package of broad changes to the way it operates and polices doping.

The IAAF president’s “Time for Change” reforms won 95 percent support from 192 countries that cast valid votes at a special congress in Monaco and vociferous backing from some of the sport’s biggest names.

The launching of a new, largely independent unit to fight doping, broader vetting of IAAF officials and a greater say for women and athletes won’t immediately repair the scorching reputational damage done by revelations of doping coverups and alleged IAAF corruption under Coe’s predecessor, Lamine Diack. French prosecutors working to unpick webs of alleged pay-offs for IAAF protection of athletes who were doping are still gathering evidence, with Russia now cooperating, so there still could be more dark headlines for Coe to deal with.

Still, comfortable passage of reforms championed by the middle-distance former Olympic champion and the recognition voiced by athletics officials that they and their sport risked being marginalized if they rejected change do put increasing daylight between the Diack and Coe eras.

“This is a good and historic day for our sport,” Coe said, his mood noticeably lifted by the voting result of North Korean proportions.

Coe’s vigorous campaigning was rewarded with congress delegates standing up one after the other to voice support before casting votes.

“We need to act now to save our sport,” said Paula Radcliffe, the women’s marathon record holder, speaking for Britain.

Open balloting made it possible to identify the 10 countries that voted ‘No,’ making them look isolated in the sea of 182 ‘Yes’ votes. Jamaica, home to Usain Bolt and women’s Olympic sprint champion Elaine Thompson, was one of five abstainers.