IAAF Presidential Candidates Coe and Bubka Reaffirm Plans for Athletics Ahead of Election

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) presidential candidates Seb Coe and Sergey Bubka have been making their final declarations ahead of election day in Beijing on Wednesday.

The pair have once again outlined the key policies that they would implement if elected as President.

Seb Coe confirmed plans to create an Olympic Athletics Dividend that would provide a minimum $100,000 of additional funding over a four year period for all 214 Member Federations from the funds received from the IOC.

Speaking in Beijing today, Coe said: “The Member Federations are the bedrock of our sport and the key policies that I will implement if elected aim to provide support that is better tailored to meet their specific needs and requirements at a local level. 

“The Olympic Athletics Dividend is a great example of how we can work together as the Athletics family to invest in opportunities that fit with the priorities of Member Federations and help Athletics grow globally.

“Following many months of travelling and consulting with the Member Federations I believe more than ever that by working together with a focus on innovation and engagement we can create a new and exciting golden era for Athletics.”

Bubka has reaffirmed his desire to increase the support that National Federations receive from the IAAF.

"My priority is to increase the support that National Federations receive from the IAAF. Financially I have pledged to double the administration grant to a minimum of $30,000 per year, or at least $120,000 over the four year period of the first Presidential term," he said.

"I also intend to generate additional funding by exploring sources of revenue from governments, foundations and other bodies in order to unlock money for our sport because of the positive impact it has on health, education and social wellbeing among young people – a key objective for many of these organisations." 

This is being viewed as one of the most important elections in the history of athletics amid allegations of doping and corruption in the sport over recent weeks, with the new president immediately being tasked with cleaning up the image of the sport ahead of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.