UK athletics wants world records wiped out

Britain's athletics federation on Monday called for all world records to be reset because of drugs and corruption scandals that have tainted the sport.

UK athletics also said in "A Manifesto for Clean Athletics" that serious drug cheats should face a lifetime ban.

"The integrity of athletics was challenged as never before in 2015. Clean athletes and sports fans the world over have been let down. Trust in the sport is at its lowest point for decades," said UK Athletics chairman Ed Warner.

"Greater transparency, tougher sanctions, longer bans - and even resetting the clock on world records for a new era - we should be open to do whatever it takes to restore credibility in the sport."

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has been hit by doping scandals and Russia has been suspended from international competition. Top officials have in turn taken bribes to cover up doping failures.

Former IAAF president Lamine Diack faces criminal charges in France and his son was among three people banned for life last week for doping corruption.

With Kenya also at the centre of doping allegations, a new report by the World Anti-Doping Agency on Thursday is expected to cause a new storm for the IAAF.

The world athletics championships will be held in London next year and the British federation wants action taken by then.

The British 14-point manifesto makes: "A call to the IAAF to investigate the implications of drawing a line under all pre-existing sport records -– for example, by adjusting event rules -– and commencing a new set of records based on performances in the new Clean Athletics era."

It also says WADA should further tighten rules on permitted therapeutic drug use and that athletes found guilty of "serious" doping should face a minimum eight year ban up to a lifetime exclusion.

The federation said it would seek to enforce a lifetime ban for serious cases no matter what is done internationally.

UK Athletics also called for a public register of all tests and for all athletes at world championships to have a valid biological passport and have been tested in the previous 12 months.

The body said the IAAF and WADA should consider publicising a register of "missed tests."

UK Athletics also said that sponsors should not support athletes found guilty of serious doping offences.

The federation said all anti-doping agencies should be re-named "Clean Sport" to stress their goals.

"UKA believes the time has come for radical reform if we are to help restore trust in the sport," said Warner.

So far the IAAF has pledged to double its anti-doping budget, establish a separate integrity unit for athletics before this year's Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and double the international testing pool of athletes to 1,000.
Source: AFP