Ex-athletics chief Diack’s corruption trial starts

Lamine Diack, the former head of athletics’ world governing body, went on trial in France on Monday facing a potential 10-year prison sentence on charges of accepting millions of dollars to cover up Russian doping tests.

The 87-year-old Senegalese, who was in charge of the International Association of Athletics Federations, now renamed World Athletics, between 1999 and 2015, arrived at Paris court at 9:30 am (0730 GMT).

Diack is charged with “giving and receiving bribes”, “breach of trust” and “organised money laundering”.

“I have very poor hearing… A very complicated state of health… But I’m here,” Diack said.

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The prosecution alleges that Diack obtained $1.5 million of Russian funds to help back Macky Sall’s campaign for the 2012 Senegal presidential election – which he won – in exchange for the IAAF’s anti-doping arm covering up or delaying offences by 23 Russians.

The aim, prosecutors will say, was to allow the Russian athletes to compete in the 2012 London Olympics and the 2013 World Athletics Championships in Moscow.