Bubka wants stronger anti-doping measures targeting coaches

Published Feb. 11, 2015 1:00 p.m. ET

foxsports

PARIS (AP) Pole vault great Sergei Bubka wants measures to better weed out and keep track of coaches involved in the doping of athletes.

The Ukrainian, a candidate for the presidency of the IAAF, said the governing body of track and field should ''initiate a system which makes it possible to punish cheating coaches or other members of entourage and prevents them from influencing athletes.''

''We should look at creating a register of coaches who have been found guilty of doping offenses, similar to athletes' databases that we have,'' the current IAAF vice president said.

Bubka was responding to Associated Press questions about doping in Russian race walking.

He said the issue ''needs to be examined thoroughly'' but that with an investigation under way, he can't comment on specific cases.

But when doping violations are proven, Bubka said, ''punishment should be inevitable for both athletes and their entourage.''

''The entourage needs to be more responsible and a coach or any other member of athletes' entourage who is in charge of an athlete's preparation at the time when the athlete was doping is responsible as well and should also be investigated,'' he said.

Bubka's rival for the IAAF presidency is British middle-distance great Sebastian Coe.