In an effort to be as transparent as possible and to ensure that the public have the same access to the information we provide the media, the IAAF will now regularly begin to share the questions we are frequently asked and our answers.

Sunday Times (UK)

QUESTION: The French prosecutor is investigating allegations that in 2011 the IAAF panel of experts found that eight Russian athletes had registered biological passport violations which merited bans.

ANSWER: These numbers differ from ours as does the timeframe.

QU: However, the Russian federation took no action and the IAAF did not appeal the cases via the Court of Arbitration of Sport.

AN: Not true. The IAAF went to the court of arbitration twice for 6 Russian athletes that currently fall within the WADA investigation.

QU: The allegation is that the reason no action was taken was because the Russian Federation had taken money from the athletes and had passed on bribes to Lamine Diack and Gabriel Dollé.

AN: We have no knowledge of this.

QU: Diack is alleged to have received 1m euros and Dolle is alleged to have received 200,000 euros.

AN: We have no knowledge of this.

QU: The bribes meant all eight athletes were allowed to compete at the London 2012 Olympics. One of those athletes won a gold medal and another won a silver medal at the London Games.

AN: At least 3 Russian athletes were not found in violation until after the 2012 Games.

Quote given to the Sunday Times and Reuters from IAAF President Sebastian Coe

“Every doping case currently being investigated by WADA was first identified by the IAAF through its athlete biological passport (ABP) programme. Every athlete found in violation has been charged and sanctioned. The IAAF believes the period of disqualification of results was too leniently applied by the Russian Federation and has been seeking an extension of these disqualifications through the Court of Arbitration in Sport (CAS) in fairness of clean athletes. The cases are currently pending before CAS.

“The best way to cover up an anti-doping case is NOT to test athletes at all. Through our ABP program the IAAF has tested more than 5000 athletes since 2009. We will continue to lead the fight against drugs in sport on behalf of all clean athletes. Those who cheat will be caught. Those who are caught will be thoroughly investigated. And the guilty will face the fullest sanctions available.

“That people in our sport have allegedly extorted money from athletes guilty of doping violations is abhorrent. That they were not able to cover up the doping results is testament to the system that the IAAF and WADA have jointly put in place.

“We are not complacent. Where there are fragilities in the system that may have allowed extortion, no matter how unsuccessful, we will strengthen them and the independent integrity unit which I will establish next month will include an independent tribunal to hear all integrity-related violations committed by international-level athletes and their support personnel. We will take the hearing process out of the hands of individual member federations.”