IAAF responds to latest doping claims

The world governing body of athletics has issued another lengthy statement in response to more claims of widespread doping and cover-ups, saying the latest allegations have been passed to its ethics committee for investigation.

German broadcaster ARD, which has already made claims of systematic doping in Russia, broadcast another programme on Monday including allegations that positive tests and blood-level anomalies from athletes across several nations were covered up or not investigated.

"A copy of the video and English transcript of the documentary will be sent directly to independent IAAF Ethics Commission who are already investigating this matter," the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) said on Tuesday.

The statement also addressed specific allegations relating to the period 2006-2009.

"Any information that shows a breach of our anti-doping rules will be added to the separate investigation that has been opened following part one of the documentary," it said.

On Monday Sebastian Coe, bidding to become president of the IAAF and an outspoken campaigner against doping, said his sport was in "very, very difficult times."

"You have to say that the scope and scale of these allegations takes it beyond simply a competitor deciding to step beyond the moral boundary," said Coe, a double Olympic 1500m gold medallist and now an IAAF vice president.

"The very fact that the allegations are in the public domain means that they are serious. So, we have to be very clear that this is a very, very difficult time for our sport."