‘Doping claims are declaration of war’

New doping claims against athletics are a “declaration of war” on the sport, British Olympic great and International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) presidential candidate Sebastien Coe said on Wednesday.

“The fightback has to start here,” said Coe in a statement after the Sunday Times and German broadcaster ARD published evidence of hundreds of allegedly suspicious blood tests.

“It is a declaration of war on my sport. There is nothing in our history of competence and integrity in drug-testing that warrants this kind of attack.” Coe, a two-time Olympic gold medallist at 1,500 metres, is vying with former Ukrainian pole-vaulter Sergey Bubka to succeed Lamine Diack, the head of world governing body the IAAF, in an election on August 19.

The doping claims came to light following the leak of an IAAF database.

It shows details of over 12,000 blood tests between 2001 and 2012 that revealed “extraordinary” levels of doping, with over 800 athletes producing suspicious blood tests.