Coe and Bubka face D-day in fight for international athletics hotseat
BRITAIN’S Lord Coe was due to find out on Wednesday morning whether his bid for the most powerful position in world athletics has been successful.
Coe, who following a successful track career of his own led efforts to attract and then stage the London 2012 Olympics, has been vying with Ukrainian former pole vaulter Sergei Bubka for the presidency of governing body the IAAF.
Both men spent yesterday frantically lobbying ahead of the vote, which was due to take place in Beijing early on Wednesday morning. Coe, 58, was the long-term frontrunner to succeed Lamine Diack, who is stepping down after 16 years in charge.
The election has taken place amid a doping controversy that has seen the IAAF’s commitment to keeping the sport clean questioned.
SEB COE
▀ Two-time Olympic 1,500m champion who set 12 world records
▀ Key roles in bidding for and staging London 2012; IAAF vice-president; British Olympic Association chairman
▀ Manifesto focuses on growing sport; has called doping allegations “war”
SERGEI BUBKA
▀ Olympic and seven-time world champion; set 35 world records
▀ President of Ukrainian Olympic Association and an IAAF vice-president
▀ Has pledged to engage more young people; believes cleaning up sport rests on “simplifying” anti-doping system