SPORT PAGE | 02 PAGE | 06 Neymar shines as England drop PSG go 3 points Bairstow for clear at the top of New Zealand Ligue 1 table Test series Tuesday 24 September 2019 Doha Worlds will be unique: Coe ARMSTRONG VAS THE PENINSULA The IAAF World Championships in Qatar will be a ‘unique event’ The Championships will and hopefully will inspire many hopefully be spectacular young people to become athletes around the world, Sebastian Coe, and excite many the head of the sports governing more young people, body, said yesterday. particularly in Qatar, to The former middle-distance become athletes. I spoke runner, who won four Olympic medals, including the 1500 metres to Dahlan Al Hamad gold medal at the Olympic Games (Vice-President of IAAF in 1980 and 1984, said that cham- and Director General pionship will motivate many of the LOC) and he said youngsters around the world and Qatar. that all the preparations “The Championships will be are on track and Qatar IAAF President Sebastian Coe (centre), The Head of Communications for the Worldwide Athletics Federation, Jackie Brock- hopefully be spectacular and Doyle (left) and the head of IAAF Inspection Team, Rune Andersen, during a press conference following a meeting of the is ready to host the excite many more young people, championship: Coe particularly in Qatar to become body’s council in Doha ahead of the World Championships, yesterday. athletes,” Coe said yesterday. When asked about the prep- biggest names in our sport in the arations for the championship combined events all competing on IAAF extends Russia ban over doping Coe said Qatar is ready to host the same day, everything is dif- the world’s biggest sporting ferent and this is a good thing and THE PENINSULA Force has taken note of the undermines the creation of any allegations that senior RusAF event of the year in three days’ Qatar is given the opportunity,” DOHA World Anti-Doping Agency’s strong anti-doping culture,” officials were involved in fab- time. Coe, 62, said. decision at its Executive Board Andersen said. ricating medical records in an “I spoke to Dahlan Al Hamad The digital innovations which Russian athletes remain meeting in Tokyo yesterday to “It is premature to tell if the effort to avoid an anti-doping (Vice-President of IAAF and will be implemented at the Cham- suspended for the World open a compliance proceeding reported measures taken by violation for high jumper Danil Director General of the IAAF pionship was one of the reasons Athletics Championships in against RUSADA over incon- RusAF will work, therefore the Lysenko. World Athletics Championships for IAAF to allot the event to Qatar, Doha with IAAF Council sistencies in data supplied to associated conditions for rein- Russian athletes who have Doha 2019 Local Organising Com- Coe said. announcing that there had WADA earlier this year. statement have not been met.” been granted ‘Authorised mittee) and he said all the prepa- “The digital innovation tech- been no change in status of the He also said the task force Andersen also said that inves- Neutral Athlete’ status by the rations are on track and Qatar is nology and some of the broadcast Russian Athletics Federation noted that recent allegations tigations into the LIMS data Doping Review Board have ready to host the championship,” technology that we were able to (RusAF). that banned coaches continued provided by the Moscow were continued to compete in inter- Coe said. apply to these challenges Cham- Rune Andersen, the inde- to work with athletes were still ongoing. national competitions. A Coe was upbeat ahead of the pionships will make the champi- pendent chairman of the IAAF found to be true, putting into “The Athletics Integrity Russian team participated in the event and said the championship onship unique,” Coe said. Taskforce, said that while some question the integrity of Unit (AIU) has not yet con- European Games in Minsk in will be different from the last few “Every championship wants progress has been made, key RusAF’s anti-doping efforts. firmed that the data is June 2019, and 30 athletes have editions in many aspects. to look back and say it did some- issues remain outstanding that “There is a recurring authentic and untampered,” been permitted to participate “The midnightg Marathon thingg differentlyy and I think prevent the reinstatement of problem of athletes and local Andersen said. as authorised neutral athletes underunderrfl floodlightsfloodlightssan andanddmi mixedmixed relarelaysys QataQatarrwir wiwillll bbeenoe no difdifferent,”ferent,”nt, he RusAF. athletics federations working Additionally, an AIU inves- at the IAAF World Athletics andd theth abilityabilbilitityy toth havehave some off theth added.addedd dd. Andersen said that the Task with banned coaches which tigation is still underway into Championships Doha 2019. Coe excited by Kipchoge’s record attempt REUTERS at breaking the two-hour barrier in going to be sitting there going, ‘Well, it Friday - with Coe standing unopposed LONDON October is likely to attract more wasn’t sanctioned as a world record for re-election tomorrow. worldwide attention than anything that because it wasn’t in open competition,’ For all his concerns, and what many The head of world athletics Sebastian happens in Doha next week. Coe told in an interview. consider the still-unfilled void left by Coe wants to end his federation’s He missed it by 26 seconds two “I just don’t think it matters. It’s just the retirement of Jamaica’s sprinting ‘computer says no’ approach which years ago and is having another attempt a big milestone being met and our sport great Usain Bolt, the IAAF president is would mean that if Kenya’s Eliud in a Vienna park via the “1.59” project. has space for all sorts of things and I hugely upbeat about the next gener- Kipchoge runs a sub-two hour Kipchoge holds the official world think it will appeal and add value.” ation and the way they are engaging marathon next month it 26.2 mile record of two hours, 1.39 Roger Bannister’s first sub-four with fans. would not be ratified as a minutes set in the Berlin Marathon last minute mile in 1954 was achieved with “Look at (Norwegian 400m runner) world record. year. the aid of pacemakers, while just about Karsten Warholm - the impact he had What could be one of the But his 2:00.25 Monza time in 2017 every middle and long-distance race on the stadium in Zurich and Paris was most extraordinary feats of is not recognised as it was achieved on the elite Diamond League circuit staggering,” Coe said. human endurance will be using “in and out pacemakers”, was not uses them - and they do not complete written off as a footnote with an an official race and he was given mid- the race. asterisk by the sport’s governing race drinks from a moving motorbike The latest edition of the body because of arcane regulations rather than having to collect them World Champion- that nobody seems close to being able from a roadside table. ships starts in to explain or justify. “If there’s an exciting attempt Doha The 34-year-old Kipchoge will not for getting under two hours for on be racing in the upcoming World the marathon I’m not sure that Championships but his latest attempt most people are A general view shows the Khalifa International Stadium, the venue for the upcoming 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships in Doha, yesterday. 02 SPORT TUESDAY 24 SEPTEMBER 2019 Neymar shines as giants PSG go 3 points clear AFP Paris St Germain’s Neymar lies on the ground after sustaining PARIS an injury during his team’s League 1 match against Olympique Lyonnais at Groupama Stadium, Lyon, France, on Sunday night. Neymar scored a fine late winner as Paris Saint-Germain beat Lyon 1-0 on Sunday to move three points clear at the top of the Ligue 1 table. The Brazilian finally beat Anthony Lopes, who had pulled off numerous impressive saves, with three minutes of normal time to play at the Groupama Stadium. It was Neymar’s second winning goal in as many league games since being reinstated to the team following a protracted transfer saga which saw him attempt to force through a return to Barcelona. The Parisians sit top on 15 points after Angers and Nice both won over the weekend to temporarily join Thomas Tuchel’s side at the summit and followed up their impressive midweek Champions League victory over Real Madrid with the win in constant drizzling Neymary 100% committed to PSG: Tuchel rain in Lyon. REUTERS totally there with his teammates. That is normal, as well as nec- Sylvinho’s Lyon remain in ninth place and are without a win PARIS essary. He is a very sensitive guy. This is only his third match in since mid-August. four months. He will gain in physical capacity with the matches PSG were without the attacking trio of Kylian Mbappe, Edinson Paris St Germain coach Thomas Tuchel has said Neymar is “100%” and this will help him. Ney is always decisive, he is always cre- Cavani and Mauro Icardi due to injuries, while midfielder Marco committed to the French champions after the Brazil interna- ative and he looks ahead.” Verratti started on the bench. tional scored the winning goal in a 1-0 victory over Olympique Neymar was booed by a section of home fans during PSG’s The best of the early chances fell to Neymar on 22 minutes but Lyonnais in the Ligue 1 on Sunday. previous league match against Strasbourg.