The IAAF gave the various continental federations just two hours to present their programmes and promote candidates through an open floor session before the general assembly convened. Taking part in the continental federations’ sessions to promote Al Hamad’s election programme were Mohammed Jassim Al Kuwari, secretary-general of the Qatar Athletics Federation, Mohammed Sulaiman, assistant secretary-general, Talal Mansour, Yaqoub Abdullah, Abdulrahman Al Noubi, Dr Jabbar Rahima Al Kaabi and Marwan Abu Al Assal, with the Qatari delegation having prepared a range of publications and materials to present to federation officials
in sport, to further introduce them to Qatar’s successful experiences in athletics both technically and administratively, in support of the Qatari candidate, while the Ukrainian and English federations prepared support programmes for presidential candidates Sergey Bubka and Sebastian Coe. Meanwhile the other Arab candidates were set to present themselves in pursuit of posts in the IAAF, and in order they are Dahlan Al Hamad, Ahmed Al Kamali, Prince Nawaf bin Mohammed, Ammar Bouras, Fathi Hachicha and Nawal El Moutawakel.
Tight security and search operations at the conference hotel
Election fever rose at the international conference hotel, with the IAAF and the organising committee of the World Athletics Championships imposing tight restrictions on visitors to the hotel and subjecting them to careful screening using various equipment, while the hotel management refused to give out the room numbers of any of the guests who were federation members. Chinese security authorities took charge of monitoring and barred personal visits to members’ rooms, especially for non-athletes staying at other hotels, in order to ensure greater integrity and rule out any suspicion of votes being obtained through gifts or favours, in line with the approach of the International Olympic Committee and the ethics committee.
Chinese CCTV crew investigated over election fever
A crew from China’s CCTV network was investigated and expelled from the conference hotel after its team arrived to film meetings and gatherings between federation members and candidates. Hotel management requested that no media be present at the official delegations’ quarters without prior permission from the IAAF, which imposed a degree of blackout on the candidates’ election campaigns for the various posts. IAAF staff affirmed that the federation did not need any more crises due to media coverage of events.
The Briton keen to keep seeking votes
Lord Coe and Bubka announce receiving major support
British Lord Sebastian Coe, candidate for the post of IAAF president, launched his website to promote himself and further explain what he could do to serve world athletics, with the candidate’s press office announcing that Coe had secured the backing of 23 sporting federations as soon as he formally declared his candidacy for the IAAF presidency, while Ukraine’s Sergey Bubka announced he had received the support of four national federations that had declared their position in backing him — the federations of Peru, Paraguay, Singapore and Thailand — with the former pole vault champion and world record holder expected to announce further federations today.
Coe and Bubka are seeking voters’ support in order to take the chair of the largest sports federation in the world, with Coe more focused on reaching out to the various federations, especially in the conference hotel lobby, in order to secure the majority of votes and win the presidency, while Sergey Bubka did not appear at the conference hotel yesterday and continued to run his election campaign through his supporters.
