Manipulation in Athletics: Historical and Contemporary Ties between On- and Off-Field Corruption in the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF)

This paper analyzes two cases of manipulation within the spheres of the supreme authority of the sport of athletics, the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF). It shows the lack of historical and contemporary policies in the IAAF to combat manipulation in its sport. The study draws on previously unexamined historical sources from the IAAF Archive in Monaco and the Carl and Liselott Diem-Archive in Germany, as well as recent reports compiled by official investigators. First, the paper discusses the IAAF's handling of result manipulation at the 1987 IAAF World Championships long jump competition. At this event, the result of the final jump of the Italian athlete Giovanni Evangelisti had been manipulated. The subsequent internal IAAF proceedings on the case revealed major inconsistencies and difficulties and these are analyzed here. The paper then compares the Evangelisti debacle with the IAAF's involvement in the recent doping scandal in Russia. Despite worldwide changes in the international sport system that led to the introduction of international governance principles and wide-ranging efforts against manipulation in sport, the available evidence suggests that there was conspiracy and corruption in the IAAF.