IAAF, AK CULPABLE: Steeplechase legend Kiptanui accuses officials of complicity in doping scourge

The entire global athletics leadership should take full responsibility for the doping upheavals in the sport, Kenya’s former three-time 3,000m steeplechase world champion, Moses Kiptanui, has said.

“I have no faith in Athletics Kenya and neither do I have faith in the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) given how they are handling the doping scourge,” Kiptanui said at the weekend, ahead of the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (Wada) second report to be released tomorrow, which is expected to implicate many elite athletes.

The first report was released in November, and led to the suspension of Russia from all international competitions, including the Olympic Games coming this Summer in Rio.

“Seb Coe was vice president (of IAAF) for eight years. He is saying he did not smell the coffee? I cannot believe that. He cannot behave like an angel yet all these things were going on under his nose. Why did he not resign and say No, I cannot reconcile my conscience with this situation,” Kiptanui, who was the first Kenyan to accuse Kenyan elite athletes of doping four years ago, said.

“Surely, doping scandals of this magnitude could not have gone on in IAAF without a Vice President not smelling it. The question is, why did he not raise a red flag? Why did he not distance himself from it? Did ambitions to succeed (former President) Lamine Diack blur his judgement for a professional and moral management of the sport?” asked Kiptanui.

“Had he said: I do not want to be part of this mess, he would have earned the respect of and endeared himself to the global athletics fraternity,” he said.

IAAF issued a statement on Friday defending itself from accusations by Wada on the doping issues. Read a related story on this page. It said they took stern action against the cases that came to light.

Kiptanui said everything is in a mess in AK. “I repeat what I said four years ago: that there is a doping problem in Kenya. And that AK as constituted now is not the right body to clean it,” he said.

“I still want to see a clean and healthy sport, fans cheering clean athletes, sponsors putting their money in a clean sport and athletes winning medals fairly. That is what we did in our days,” said Kiptanui.

“What makes me mad is people being mentioned and proof provided then a loud silence follows. That is what upsets me. A good person when mentioned apologises and says I am sorry... Living in denial as our people have done in the past even with glaring evidence is spiritually and culturally wrong. The truth will not die even if you go to the grave,” he said.

 Kiptanui said he is keenly awaiting the Wada report. “The big losers, in case anything untoward happens to us, are clean athletes who will be lumped together with the guilty. It will be a big disaster for this country. A lot of things in this country have been supported by athletics. It has helped many families. If Kenya is suspended, even for one year, it would have a big impact on the economy of North Rift. It would  take us years to return to where we were,” he said.

“If Kenya won’t go to next Olympics, it will be very painful to all sportspersons all over the world. It will remind us of the boycott of 1976 and 1980, where a generation that missed the opportunity never recovered. Our heroes missed the chance when they were top of the world. Seb Coe won twice because there were no Kenyans. He is a hero because there was a gap,” he said.