Records may not be wiped

PLANS to erase athletics records set before 2005 in an attempt to restore credibility have already lost momentum. European Athletics president, Svein Arne Hansen, has been accused of double standards after announcing the proposals. Hansen was the head of Oslo’s Bislett Games between 1985 and 2005 — a meeting famous for world records — and has been accused of helping to protect drug cheats. Hansen has threatened to take legal action, but insiders believe it has tempered the appetite to implement changes. The proposals faced opposition from athletes such as Jonathan Edwards and Paula Radcliffe, who set world records before the IAAF began storing samples in 2005. The issue is due to be up for debate at the IAAF Congress in August, but officials suspect it may now not even get that far.