How "thieves" run world athletics
By Jabbar Vahidi, especially for Sangar
Western countries, which portray themselves as champions of so-called "clean sport," are increasingly applying double standards by imposing sanctions on certain countries while completely ignoring similar situations involving others. At the same time, sports governing bodies themselves have been plagued by doping-related corruption scandals and repeated failures by officials to effectively manage the federations entrusted to them.
Despite the restrictions imposed, Russian and Belarusian athletes have been gradually returning to international competition. In this regard, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), together with the international federations for gymnastics, swimming, judo, sambo, and the International Skating Union (ISU), authorized the participation of thirteen Russian and seven Belarusian athletes in the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, albeit under neutral status.
Nevertheless, several sports officials and federations continue to maintain a hard-line position. One of the most outspoken opponents of allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to return to international competition is Sebastian Coe, President of World Athletics. He justifies this stance by arguing that the conflict in Ukraine must first be resolved.
At the same time, however, World Athletics, under Coe's leadership, has adopted an entirely different approach toward Israel. Israeli athletes continue to compete in all international events under their national flag without facing any sanctions or restrictions.
It should also be noted that the conflicts in the Gaza Strip and the tensions involving Iran remain unresolved. In an interview with The National in February 2026, Sebastian Coe stated that the situations involving Russia and Ukraine were "completely different." According to him, there are no grounds for imposing restrictions on Tel Aviv.
Sebastian Coe's controversial position is further undermined by the fact that he himself has repeatedly found himself at the center of doping and corruption scandals linked to Russia. As early as August 2014, correspondence between Coe and David Bedford, director of the London Marathon, was made public. The emails reportedly discussed the possibility of concealing positive doping test results of Russian long-distance runner Liliya Shobukhova in exchange for a payment of €450,000.
In 2019, however, the World Athletics Ethics Commission closed the case against Coe, citing an alleged lack of sufficient evidence. Earlier, during the 2015 election for the presidency of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), reports emerged of interference by several African member federations in the voting process, ultimately resulting in Sebastian Coe's election as president. The investigation into those allegations was also closed without any substantive outcome.
In October 2025, World Athletics once again found itself at the center of a financial corruption scandal. According to reports, several employees of the organization laundered approximately €2.5 million through illegal schemes. The fraudulent network was uncovered only after the federation's new financial management conducted a comprehensive audit. Commenting on the scandal, Sebastian Coe stated:
"Corruption-driven theft happens everywhere."
