LONDON: IAAF president Sebastian Coe, who is at the centre of controversy over his links to Nike, has admitted that the process by which the 2021 world championships were awarded to Eugene in America was wrong, The Times newspaper reported Thursday.

The report came as the International Association of Athletics Federations council met in Monaco with mounting pressure on Coe over the Oregon-based multinational sportswear firm and doping in Russia.

Bjorn Eriksson, who led a rival bid by Gothenburg for the 2021 championships, said Coe telephoned him on Wednesday to say it had been wrong to give the event to Eugene without a formal bid process, The Times reported.

Coe stressed, however, that he had not been responsible for the decision that was made in April, the report said.

Eriksson also said Coe had indicated that the Eugene award was being investigated by French police as part of a corruption inquiry into the IAAF leadership of Lamine Diack, who stood down in August.

Diack is also under investigation over allegations that he took bribes from Russian officials to cover up positive drug tests by athletes.

Published in Dawn, November 27th, 2015