In coordination with the International Athletics Foundation (IAF), the IAAF has today cancelled this year’s IAF World Athletics Gala which was due to take place in Monaco on Saturday 28 November.
“Given the cloud that hangs over our association this is clearly not the time for the global athletics family to be gathering in celebration of our sport,” confirmed Sebastian Coe. “However we will rightly still honour the outstanding achievements of the sport’s athletes. Therefore the Athlete of the Year and other annual honours will still be awarded and will be promoted and announced on the internet and social media. The IAAF will seek a suitable occasion in the future for the presentation of these awards to be made to the winners.”
IAAF President Sebastian Coe has today announced to IAAF Member Federations full details concerning the ‘IAAF Olympic Athletics Dividend’ which offers $25,000 every year to each national federation to assist their development.
Athletics’ premier position in the Olympic movement secures the IAAF the largest proportion of the revenues which the International Olympic Committee distributes to the international federations who govern the 28 sports within the summer Olympic Games.
“How the IAAF invests the quadrennial fee received from the IOC to better serve its member federations was one of the major pillars of my election manifesto to become IAAF President,” confirmed Seb Coe.
“This fund will be financed on a total of about $22 million over a four-year period which represents approximately half of the dividend received by the IAAF from the IOC.
“The fund, which we are calling the ‘IAAF Olympic Athletics Dividend’, has been put in place to assist Member Federations in designing and implementing structured and sustainable projects to develop athletics in their countries.
“The programme offers Member Federations assistance to develop and improve athletics where it matters most, with the full support of the IAAF.
“The IAAF must engage and work together with its members, listen to their needs and implement tailored solutions at a local and regional level. Only by doing that will we secure an exciting, prosperous future for athletics,” concluded Seb Coe.
The budget of the ‘IAAF Olympic Athletics Dividend’ – which is in addition to all existing IAAF development grants – will be distributed on an equal share basis.
The idea of this dividend is to help fund projects such as those involving construction, refurbishment or maintenance of facilities; purchase or hire of equipment; preparation and training of athletes, coaches and team officials including travel support; staging of national and regional competitions; and the delivery of development and talent identification programmes in schools and clubs.
The IAAF will carefully approve the projects/programmes submitted by the Member Federations in a transparent and thorough process in which the value and quality will be assessed.
The Member Federations in turn will provide dedicated human, technical, organisational and financial support to the project and report regularly to the IAAF on progress.
Developing a successful future for the sport of athletics was always going to be a shared responsibility, a collaborative process.
In a key note speech delivered today (16) to the European Athletics Convention in Lausanne, IAAF President Sebastian Coe announced new advisory structures designed to assist the delivery of a fundamental programme of change to the sports global administration.
President Coe, who was joined by IOC President Thomas Bach, EA President Svein Arne Hansen and EOC President Patrick Hickey at the Mövenpick Hotel, confirmed to advise IAAF Council in future there would be 10 Commissions and 10 Special Advisory Groups, each with 10 members, who, mostly via video and teleconferencing, would aim to convene 10 times each year.
“Central to the process of reviewing and building new structures, I am today announcing widespread changes to the composition and function of IAAF Commissions for the approval of IAAF Council in November” said Seb Coe.
“These changes are designed to broaden the experience and ability available to our sport and make the IAAF’s advisory bodies more efficient, more focused and more representative. They will be smaller groups with increased representation of women, younger age groups, coaches and former athletes and experts from outside athletics.
“These advisory bodies will make better use of technology to increase the level of dialogue between these advisors and the IAAF beyond the regular face-to-face meetings.”
IAAF Commissions
“We are reviewing the IAAF Commissions to ensure that the IAAF Council gets the best possible advice and support moving forwards. Among the changes, four entirely new commissions are being created: Values, International Relations, Audit, Youth Engagement Commissions.
“There will be 10 Commissions, each with a maximum of 10 members, except the Athletes Commission which, being partially elected, is a special case:
Athletes Commission
Audit Commission (incorporates former IAAF Finance and Budget Commission)
Coaches Commission
Competition Commission
Development Commission
International Relations Commission
Legal Commission
Medical and Anti-doping Commission
Values Commission (Incorporating former School and Youth)
Youth Engagement Commission
“In addition, there will be two other special commissions: the existing Masters and Ethics Commissions, which are to be considered special cases as independent bodies. The Ethics Commission will be renamed the ‘IAAF Independent Ethics Board’ to ensure distinction between it and other IAAF Commissions.”
“I am also announcing the creation of a number of IAAF Special Advisory Groups to help address specific areas of importance to the IAAF’s administration and development of the sport. With these groups I’m looking for speed of decision, focusing on trends and innovation. Open minded, fast, flexible and with realistic ambition. What I’m hoping for across the Special Advisory Groups are 10 sustainable achievements each year.”
Commercial and Marketing
Competition Calendar
Conflict Resolution
One-Day Meetings
Press and Media Operations
Road Running
Strategic Communications
Sustainable Development
Television and Digital
World Athletics Series Renovation
“The IAAF will also continue with two steering boards covering commercial issues (with DENTSU and Eurovision respectively) composed of representatives of IAAF and the relevant organisations.
“During my official visit to the Balkans Athletics Congress I named the chair and some members of the One-Day Meetings group. The composition of the remaining 10 Special Advisory Groups will be announced by the time of the Council meeting in November.
“The reorganisation of the Commissions and specialist areas covered by the Special Advisory Groups should leave no one in any doubt about my priorities as president.
“Only if we successfully engage in this reorganisation will we be able to offer the best possible advice to IAAF Council and thereby build a robust, innovative and transparent organisation which is fit to deliver with its member federations, a modern, athlete-focused sport that is attractive and exciting to a young audience,” concluded Seb Coe.
Newly elected IAAF President Sebastian Coe today met the entire IAAF HQ staff in Monaco. The gathering took place at the association’s new offices which are situated on Quai Antoine, Port Hercules, Monaco.
“Not only am I happy to be here, I’m relieved,” said Coe, who took office as IAAF President on Monday 31 August. “The last year has been a great test of character for all candidates for IAAF positions, whether president, council, committees and commissions. Today is one of the proudest days of my life.
“I have only had five predecessors as president, each one making an indelible mark on our sport.
“The election has been a good process. It has given the member federations the chance to decide what sport they want. I have flown 778,000km since Christmas, meeting and listening to our member federations. I’m better prepared to serve this sport having gone through that journey.
“The IAAF is here to serve its member federations. We must be a member-federation-focused organisation at all times. They are our strength.
“I see a very bright future for athletics. To deliver this future we must ensure we are open and transparent, that we are relevant and exciting to young people.
“My job is to remove all inhibitors in this organisation so that you (IAAF staff) can do the best work of your life. So that together we can deliver a world class organisation which has respect across the sporting landscape. The IAAF must be a template for best practise and most importantly athlete centred.
“This is a dream come true to be able to shape a sport. We should wake up each morning excited to serve, knowing we have the greatest job in the world. We should be very proud that we are working in this sport. It also needs to be fun. I want people to fall in love with athletics for all the reasons we did.
“The first steps are the review of the structures and resources in Monaco. We must ensure we are an organisation fit for purpose.
“Two members of our senior management team are already known, Nick Davies will be the Director of the President’s Office and Huw Roberts will serve as the IAAF’s senior counsel. Huw is leading a review of our constitution and corporate governances as part of our modernisation process.”
Seb Coe concluded his address by reminding the staff of the Council’s endorsement of his proposal to appoint Sergey Bubka as Senior Vice President, reiterating that “my object as president is to bring the athletics family together”.
The concluding joint IAAF and Local Organising Committee (LOC) press conference at the IAAF World Championships, Beijing 2015 took place before the start of the last day of athletics in the Bird’s Nest stadium on Sunday (30).
Guests included IAAF President Lamine Diack, IAAF President elect Sebastian Coe, IAAF General Secretary Essar Gabriel, LOC Executive Chairman and Assistant Director of General Administration of Sport of China Gao Zhidan, LOC Deputy Chairman and Director of the Athletic Administration Centre of General Administration of Sport of China Du Zhaocai, and LOC Executive Secretary General and Vice Minister of Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sports Chen Jie.
“The IAAF World Championships, Beijing 2015 have been wonderful,” opened President Diack, who spoke about the spectator number in the stadium, the increased TV audiences of these championships and also the IAAF’s medical and anti-doping programme in Beijing.
“The testing figures are interim data. We will confirm full anti-doping statistics by press release on Tuesday but this is the most comprehensive testing programme of any sport in the past two years,” emphasised Diack.
“More than 650 blood tests were conducted at the athlete hotels prior, and during, the world championships. More than 520 urine tests conducted at the stadium and at the hotels,” he added.
IAAF President elect Coe announced major increases in the IAAF website and social media audiences over the previous edition of the championships two years ago in Moscow.
“The IAAF’s strategy to attract a younger audience to athletics via the online promotion of the sport has received a massive boost in Beijing. The IAAF’s responsive website, which fits on any device, has got users around the world,” said Coe.
Sebastian Coe was elected as the sixth IAAF President at the 50th IAAF Congress in Beijing, China on Wednesday (19).
The voting was as follows (207 IAAF Member Federations cast their votes):
Sebastian Coe (GBR) 115 votes, Sergey Bubka (UKR) 92 votes.
Speaking after the Election Coe said: “I am deeply honoured that our sport has placed its trust in me.
“There is no job I want to do more – nor with greater commitment.”
Seb Coe emerges as IAAF President
The Former IAAF Vice-President and Chairman of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games also took to twitter to thank the entire IAAF Family
“Delighted and humbled by the confidence shown in me by the IAAF family – thank you, now the hard work begins”
Coe Also took time out to thank the media “I want to thanks the (member) federations but I also want to thank those that cover and broadcast our sport. We tend to forget that the media is most potent sponsor of our sport; and I will maintain my chairmanship of the media committee.
He takes over from Lamine Diack who was on ground to congratulate him and also Sergey Bubka was later elected Vice-President of the IAAF.
Seb Coe has his work cut out for him as he now as to grapple with the crisis rocking athletics as it concerns doping and he must hit the ground running so as to fulfil all the campaign promises he made.
The IAAF Evaluation Commission (EVCOM), under the chairmanship of IAAF Vice President Sebastian Coe (GBR), has now concluded its visits to the three candidate cities for the 2019 edition of the IAAF World Championships: Barcelona (ESP), Doha (QAT) and Eugene (USA).
Lord Coe was joined by his IAAF Council colleagues Abby Hoffman (CAN) and Katsuyuki Tanaka (JPN), a delegation from IAAF staff led by the IAAF General Secretary Essar Gabriel as well as representatives from the IAAF marketing partner Dentsu/AMS.
“On behalf of the IAAF, I am very pleased with the hospitality and engagement showed by all three candidates during our recent visits,” said Lord Coe.
“My Council colleagues will be comforted to know that we have three excellent candidates, representing three different continental areas, and that each one of them is fully aware that the World Championships are the most important property in the IAAF portfolio of events.
“The Evaluation Commission was able to assist and advise each candidate during our visit, as we want them to be able to make the best possible presentation to the IAAF Council on the 18 November.”
The EVCOM visited the cities on the following dates:
• Barcelona 14-15 October 2014
• Eugene 26-27 October 2014
• Doha 30-31 October 2014
As well as on-site visits to facilities and accommodation options, the key areas examined were:
• Vision and General Concept
• Competition
• Accommodation
• Transportation
• Congress & Council Meetings
• Broadcasting
• Media Operations
• Medical & Anti-Doping
• Ceremonies & Protocol
• Legacy
• Visa, Work Permit, Customs
• Security
• Sponsor opportunities and other commercial activities
• Ticketing
• Communication & Promotion
• Finance
The Report of the EVCOM will now be submitted to the IAAF Council on 7 November.
The host city for the 2019 IAAF World Championships will be decided in Monaco by the IAAF Council on Tuesday 18 November 2014, following final presentations by the three candidates.
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