Coe: Doping allegations a 'declaration of war' on athletics

Coe is running as an IAAF presidential candidate. Credit: PA

Lord Coe has said athletics must "come out fighting" in response to widespread doping allegations, which he described as a "declaration of war".

The double Olympic gold medal winner said he was angry that the sport has been implicated in a "cover up" following allegations published in The Sunday Times.

The newspaper reported that as many as third of Olympic and world championships medals, including 55 golds, have been won by athletes with allegedly suspicious doping test results.

It also suggested at least 800 athletes have recorded blood-test results described by an expert as "highly suggestive of doping or at the very least abnormal".

The data was released by a whistleblower and belongs to the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

The IAAF said the allegations did not prove doping and denied turning a blind eye.

Lord Coe, an IAAF vice president, said it was a "seminal moment" for the sport.

The Sunday Times report, which was also published by German broadcaster ARD, examined the results of 12,000 blood tests involving 5,000 athletes from 2001 to 2012, concluding that 800 were suspicious.

The media reports were based on analysis of the leaked test results by Australian anti-doping scientists Robin Parisotto and Michael Ashenden.

The Sunday Times examined the results of 12,000 blood tests involving 5,000 athletes from 2001 to 2012. Credit: PA

However, Lord Coe said the use of the database "displayed either breathtaking ignorance or a level of malevolence", adding: "The idea that my sport sat there either covering up wrongdoing or just being incompetent could not be wider of the mark."

He described the way the information had been used as "an attempt to destroy the reputation of the athletes and our sport".

Coe, who is running as an IAAF presidential candidate, said the organisation had "led the way" in blood screening and out-of-competition testing for years.

Responding to criticism of its story, The Sunday Times said the report was based on a thorough analysis of IAAF data "by two of the world’s foremost anti-doping scientists".

The paper also denied drawing any "sweeping conclusions" beyond the evidence it obtained.

A spokesman for the paper said: "It is disingenuous of the IAAF to spend just two days conducting what it describes as a ‘thorough’ investigation into the serious issues we raised and then to attempt to dismiss the story as sensationalist.

"Its refusal to accept any criticism raises serious questions as to whether the IAAF is truly committed to its primary duty of policing its sport and protecting clean athletes.”