IAAF President Lord Sebastian Coe on Wednesday
night stood ready to ban Kenya’s entire track and field team from the
Olympics if the country’s athletics federation joined Russia’s in being
declared non-compliant with the World Anti-Doping Agency code.
It faces an anxious wait to learn whether it will be
declared non-compliant with the agency’s code, something that could see
its athletes banned from competing on the world stage.
Coe confirmed he would not hesitate to seek the ultimate
sanction for any nation guilty of attempting to cover up drug-taking
following a stream of shocking allegations about Kenyan athletics and
its officials.
The chief executive of Athletics Kenya this week asked to
be relieved of his duties for three weeks pending an investigation into
allegations he sought bribes to reduce the doping bans of two athletes
who failed drugs tests.
Wada and the International Association of Athletics
Federation’s ethics committee have contacted AK about the claims against
Isaac Mwangi, who denies any wrongdoing. He is the fourth Kenyan
official to be probed over corruption allegations following those made
against former AK president Isaiah Kiplagat and two other senior
figures, who also deny any wrongdoing.
Kenya, who finished top of the medal table at last year’s
World Championships, last week missed a deadline to prove to Wada it was
doing enough to combat doping.
Source: The Telegraph