ZCZC
BSP-02
ATHLETICS-WORLD-2021-USA-EUGENE
Athletics: Eugene athletics’ bid chief placed on leave
LOS ANGELES, Feb 20, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – The head of the United States
successful bid for the 2021 World Athletics Championships has been placed on
temporary leave after he was contacted by US federal authorities looking into
corruption in the sport.
Vin Lananna, who is president of the USA Track and Field board of
directors, was contacted “months ago” by the authorities regarding his role
in securing the championships for the city of Eugene, Oregon.
“In a step taken to help eliminate potential conflict of interest concerns
as the Department of Justice (DOJ) investigates the bids for several
international athletic championships, the USATF board of directors on Sunday
placed USATF President and board Vice Chairman Vin Lananna on temporary
administrative leave,” the USATF said in a news release on Monday.
Lananna was elected president of the board in 2016 and also serves as
president of Eugene-based TrackTown USA.
“USATF has no reason to believe TrackTown and/or Mr. Lananna have done
anything wrong and understand that they have been told that they are not a
target of the investigation,” USATF chairman Steve Miller said in a prepared
statement.
“But to avoid any conflict or appearance of conflict of interest in
relation to the investigation, the board voted to place Mr. Lananna on
temporary administrative leave until the Department of Justice investigation
pertaining to TrackTown and the 2021 World Championships is resolved.”
Lananna has stated previously that he was confident any investigation into
the awarding of the games would find no evidence of wrongdoing.
Eugene was awarded the championships — which will be the first time the
United States has ever hosted the event — after the International
Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) skipped a formal bidding process.
Instead, Eugene was awarded the games after a 23-1 vote by the IAAF Council
in Beijing last April.
The decision to award the championships by a council vote was made at the
behest of former IAAF President Lamine Diack, who is now under investigation
for corruption.
BSS/AFP/GMR/0903 hrs