The governing body of world athletics (IAAF) has canceled this month's gala in Monaco after former president Lamine Diack was placed under investigation on suspicion of corruption and money-laundering, the IAAF said Friday. The annual black-tie event, which honors the world's top athletes, had been scheduled for Nov. 28. "It is with great disappointment that we have to inform you that this year's IAAF World Athletics Gala has been canceled," IAAF director Nick Davies wrote in an email to his organization's press commission members. "We understand you were very much looking forward to celebrating another year of spectacular athletics in Monaco, but this is not the right time nor the right context to pay tribute to the best athletes of our sport. They deserve to be honored at a time when the situation will be restored." The IAAF said it would make an official statement shortly. The gala is held under the auspices of the International Athletics Foundation, a charity whose honorary president is Prince Albert II of Monaco. Diack remains listed as the foundation's president. Jamaican sprint champion Usain Bolt, British runner Mo Farah and Dutch sprinter Dafne Schippers are among those nominated for athlete of the year honors. Diack is alleged to have received over 1 million euros ($1.09 million) in bribes in 2011 to cover up positive doping tests of Russian athletes, the office of France's financial prosecutor said. The 82-year-old Senegalese was placed under formal investigation in France this week and questioned by authorities before being released on bail of 500,000 euros and banned from leaving the country. He served as president of the IAAF from 1999 until August this year when he was succeeded by Briton Sebastian Coe. Diack's family has dismissed what they called the "excessive and insignificant accusations". The French investigation followed a complaint by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which has scheduled a news conference for Monday to address findings of its own probe. WADA launched a commission to investigate allegations raised during German broadcaster ARD's December 2014 documentary on doping in Russia. The acting head of the Russian athletics federation (VFLA) said his country had nothing to fear from the latest scandal to rock world athletics. — Reuters
