IAAF head cancels Gala Awards Ceremony in light of Diack allegations

Photo: IAAF President Lord Sebastian Coe

The new series of drama surrounding track and field at present, has led to the IAAF President Lord Sebastian Coe and the support team from Monaco, both agreeing to cancel the annual IAAF Gala Awards ceremony, originally slated for November 28

The implications and present allegations surrounding the former IAAF Boss Lamine Diack, has been on the tongues of the track and field world since Sunday.

The Senegalese native is being accused by French authorities of accepting bribes and dealing in money laundering, in relation to the Russian doping scandal.

He has been on bail since Tuesday, following his initial arrest on Sunday.

The present investigation involves the current president, Coe, who has agreed to cooperate with the investigating parties.

The Gala Awards, where athletes are feted and rewarded for their exploits in the sport, will now be scaled down from the huge spectacle to what is being reported as a smaller informal dinner, where the selected winners be crowned.

The nominations for the prestigious award are currently underway and to date four men have been nominated for the Male Athlete .

They are double World Champion and record holder Usain Bolt, British Olympic and World champion Mo Farah, Kenyan marathoner Eliud Kipchoge and Russian hurdler Sergey Shubenkov.

The female nominees are led by Dutch woman ​and World Championship 200m champion Dafne Schippers , Ethiopian middle and long distances queens, Genzebe Dibaba and Mare Dibaba World champion at 400m Zuzana Hejnova of Czech Republic.

There are five more athletes that will be nominated in other respective categories.