Johannesburg — Disgraced Senegalese Lamine Diack, who is a former IAAF president, died on Friday at the age of 88 due to natural causes.
Diack was president of the International Athletics Associations Federations (IAAF) from 1999 to 2015 when he was charged with passive corruption. He was involved in a massive cover-up of Russian doping in return for bribes amounting to millions of US dollars.
Finally in 2020 he was convicted along with five others, including his son. He was sentenced to four years in jail, with two of them suspended. However, he was granted house arrest before being given bail and returning to Senegal.
"He died at home around 2 a.m. of a natural death," his son, Papa Massata Diack, told Reuters.
Born in 1933, Diack was also a former athlete and rose to prominence in the 1950s in the men’s long jump. He held the French/West African long jump record from 1957 to 1960.
Saddened to learn the passing on of former IAAF President Lammine Diak.
— Asbel Kiprop 3:26 (@KipropAsbel) December 3, 2021
A leader who fully dedicated to lead the world of Athletics in his capacity as the IAAF President.
May God comfort his Family during this grieving Moment.
First elected president of the IAAF in 1999, he was re-elected in 2011 for a fourth four-year term which he served out. He was also a member of the International Olympic Committee.
In 2011, he was first investigated for corruption with Diack having allegedly received questionable payments over a marketing contract.
Kenyan 1500m athlete Asbel Kiprop, banned for doping in 2017, paid tribute to Diack on twitter: “Saddened to learn the passing on of former IAAF President Lammine Diak (sic).
“A leader who fully dedicated to lead the world of Athletics in his capacity as the IAAF President.
May God comfort his Family during this grieving Moment.”
African News Agency (ANA)