MONACO (AP) Sebastian Coe is facing pressure to fix Russia's doping problem and defend his own relationship with Nike Inc. as leaders of track and field's governing body meet in Monaco.
Thursday's meeting of the IAAF council is expected to flesh out the anti-doping steps that Russia must take for its track and field athletes to be readmitted to international competition.
At a subsequent news conference, Coe could also face tough questions about his own conduct. Specifically, he is battling suggestions that his long-standing ties to Nike are no longer appropriate and a possible conflict of interest now that he is overseeing the sport as president of the International Association of Athletics Federations.
Coe's first months as president since August could hardly have been rougher. The arrest in France on corruption charges of Coe's predecessor, Lamine Diack, and the exposure by a World Anti-Doping Agency commission of systematic doping and cover-ups in Russia have eroded trust in the sport and its leadership and forced Coe and the IAAF onto the defensive.
Coe may also be grilled about whether he lobbied for the Oregon city of Eugene to host the 2021 world championships. Nike's headquarters are outside Portland, about 100 miles (160 kms) from Eugene.
Coe insisted he ''did not lobby anyone'' on Eugene's behalf. But the Swedish city of Gothenburg, which was also vying for the 2021 worlds, wants the process to be investigated. Eugene was awarded the championships, the first in the U.S., without an open bidding process.
For Russian track and field athletes to compete again, their athletics federation - ARAF - must demonstrate that it has permanently dismantled the ''deeply rooted culture of cheating'' identified by the WADA commission. In the wake of those findings, the IAAF council voted 22-1 on Nov. 13 to suspend Russia, barring its track athletes from international competition, including the Olympics.
The IAAF said Russia must ban athletes, doctors, coaches and others who doped or were complicit in it and implement other reforms, including steps to encourage whistleblowing.
The Monaco meeting is expected to focus in more detail on those steps Russia must fulfill to be welcomed back. Exactly how long that might take isn't clear.
