Coe plays down IAAF voting snag

Lord Coe yesterday dismissed any notion of conspiracy theories after a second ballot was needed to elect vice-presidents of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) at the governing body's congress.

Sergei Bubka, viewed as a potential successor to president Lamine Diack, initially failed to earn election as one of the four vice-presidents.

A recount was called after more votes were cast than were countries voting. A manual, paper vote then took place and Bubka and Coe were elected. The Briton said: "I thought it [the first vote] looked a bit of a rogue result [but] I'm no great believer in conspiracy theories."