PARIS (AP) French prosecutors have opened an investigation into the IAAF's decision to award the 2021 athletics world championships to the American city of Eugene without an open bidding process.
The probe, opened on Dec. 1, aims to determine whether there is reason to suspect a crime may have been committed and, if so, whether prosecuting it would fall within French jurisdiction.
The financial prosecutors office in Paris say the investigation does not target any specific individuals at this stage. It is also separate from another French investigation into suspected corruption by Lamine Diack, the former IAAF president.
Preliminary probes that find wrongdoing can lead to a more formal criminal investigation, or can be closed down if no evidence is found.
