Frank Fredericks has stepped aside from all his duties at the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and “indicated” he would attend its council meeting in London next month while he is the subject of an ethics investigation, IAAF president Sebastian Coe said on Saturday.
Coe said Fredericks had not resigned as a member of the IAAF’s ruling council “but stepped aside to let all bodies investigate the matter.”
Fredericks, who is also a voting International Olympic Committee member, is being investigated by the IOC Ethics Commission over a payment of about US$300,000 he received from a now-banned athletics official at about the time Rio de Janeiro was awarded the right to host the 2016 Summer Olympic Games.
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Speaking in Kampala, where the cross-country world championships took place yesterday, Coe said Fredericks had not traveled to Uganda, and would stay away from other IAAF events while he is investigated.
“I have spoken to him [Fredericks] regularly since this issue came out and he decided to step away from all this as he needs time to sort all this,” Coe said. “He also indicated that he will not attend the Council meeting in London.”
Fredericks, a former sprinter from Namibia, denied any wrongdoing after the 2009 payment was revealed by French newspaper Le Monde this month.
Le Monde alleged the payment came from a Brazilian businessman and was channeled through a sports marketing company created by Papa Massata Diack, the son of former IAAF president Lamine Diack.
Papa Massata Diack, a former IAAF marketing consultant, has been banned for life by the IAAF and is being sought for questioning by French authorities.
His father is facing corruption charges in France.
Fredericks said he had a contract with the sports marketing company and the timing of the payment was coincidental.
He reported details of the case to ethics commissions at the IOC and IAAF and had already stepped aside from all his duties at the IOC, which included leading the group evaluating the cities bidding to host the 2024 Summer Olympics.
He also previously withdrew from the IAAF task force looking at doping in Russia.
The 49-year-old Fredericks won four Olympic silver medals in the 1990s.
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