Diack’s son handed life ban

The son of ex-world athletics chief, Lamine Diack, is one of three senior figures given life bans from the sport.

Papa Massata Diack, a former consultant for the IAAF, and Russian officials Valentin Balakhnichev and Alexei Melnikov, were last month charged with breaches of the IAAF's code of ethics.

Ex-IAAF anti-doping director, Gabriel Dolle, was also charged and has been banned for five years.

The IAAF said a lesser sanction would not meet the gravity of their offences.

The quartet had been charged in relation to the payment of about £435,000 that Russian former London Marathon winner Liliya Shobukhova allegedly made to have her doping violations covered up.

Her 38-month ban from track and field was reduced by seven months after she turned whistleblower for the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada).

Russia have been banned from international athletics competition after a report by Wada's independent commission alleged the country was guilty of "state-sponsored doping".BBC