IAAF Took Bribes to Conceal Positive Doping Tests of Six Russian Athletes

The bribes of up to $737,000 were taken after 2011 by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) for the cover up of positive doping tests of six Russian athletes, according to media reports.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) —  The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) took bribes for the cover up of positive doping tests of six Russian athletes after blackmailing them, media reported Friday.

The bribes of up to $737,000 were taken after 2011, German ARD broadcaster reported citing results of the joint investigation with the French newspaper Le Monde into the scheme that involved the total of 23 international athletes. Paris prosecution office obtained the documents that prove the allegations, and now it is investigating the financial crimes in IAAF.

Among the Russian athletes mentioned in the investigation are Russian long-distance runner Liliya Shobukhova disqualified in 2013, race walkers Valeriy Borchin, Olga Kaniskina, Vladimir Kanaykin, Sergey Kirdyapkin and middle-distance runner Yuliya Zaripova disqualified in 2015. The athletes allegedly have been blackmailed by the IAAF officials.

In November 2015, Lamine Diack, the former IAAF president, and his lawyer were arrested in France as part of an investigation into the use of performance enhancing drugs by Olympic athletes.