request of Ben Johnson for reinstatement is rejected
16 August, 1999 - Seville – Spain – The IAAF Council, meeting in Seville for the last time in its current composition before the elections of the IAAF Congress, has declared its satisfaction and confidence in the organisation of the 7th IAAF World Championships, which will be opened by Prince Felipe of Asturias, a former Olympic competitor himself.
The Council heard a report from the President of the Spanish Federation, Jose Maria Odriozola, which summarised all the technical aspects of the event. He confirmed that about 70% of all the available seats for the competition (425,000) had been sold, and that there were 100 metre queues this morning at the Stadium which showed that, as is customary, the Spanish public were buying their tickets at the last minute. Odriozola also stated that, while current temperatures in Seville are high in the middle of the day, the stadium has been designed so that it would be entirely in shade by the time the evening programme begins (approximately 7 pm). Odriozola also predicted that the long distance races (which have been scheduled to take place after 10 p.m.) will take place in reasonable climatic conditions – 25 to 27 degrees and 35% humidity. A total of 1959 athletes have been entered from 205 federations.
"I am very confident and pleased with the state of progress and the hard work that has been put in by the organisers", said IAAF President Primo Nebiolo: "The Organising Committee and the Federation have done an excellent job and I expect our athletes will produce excellent results as well."
The IAAF Council also heard a report from a sub-commission composed of council members Istvan Gyulai, Helmut Digel and Robert Stinson, regarding the request for reinstatement by the Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson. Following careful examination of this report, the Council agreed that there was no reasonable basis for the reinstatement of Johnson and that the original decision to suspend him for life for a second doping offence had been correct. The Council also considered the recent decision of UK Athletics, the British federation, in the case of Doug Walker. The Council, following a report from its anti-doping commission, decided to put the case before the IAAF Arbitration Panel.
Finally, Council agreed to investigate an incident involving Bernard Barmasai, who is alleged to have asked a rival not to beat him during the Zurich Golden League meeting last week. A working group made up of Istvan Gyulai, Helmut Digel, Roberto Gesta da Melo and Lou Dapeng will listen to a tape of remarks made by Barmasai, review video evidence from the race, and also talk to both athletes implicated, Barmasai and Christopher Kosgei, during the coming week. Their report will be considered at the first meeting of the new IAAF Council on August 30.
