Sports Integrity SII · @Sport_Integrity
14th Jan 2016 from TwitLonger
P42 #WADAReport: 19 July 2013 email from Nick Davies to Papa Massata Diack…
Dear Papa,
Following our discussion earlier I have already had some thoughts and believe that we need to do the following, in the strict confidence and control within a small circle of senior IAAF staff only. This mut (sic) be very secret.
1. Continue the official IAAF PR and Promo plan working with LOC in Moscow. In addition to what has already been done, we are now finalising a campaign on the Moscow Metro, and increase in the number of OOH billboards and LED screens, a special PR campaign targeted at our host broadcaster VGTRK and a special campaign with the Moscow Times newspaper. This will require approximately 200,000US$ but this has already been discussed and approved in principle in the 2012 Budget;
2.Connected to this we need to secure the following. Ensure that ARAF representatives, including Valentin and Mikhael Butov REFRAIN from speaking publicly or briefing the media in a negative way, which has sadly been the case recently. Furthermore, that they DELIVER their promises of free ticket programme guests during the event and also, very importantly, that they immediately begin to ensure that Russian athletes are made available for media promotion in the coming weeks, especially on VGTRK broadcasts and any other promo activities (Welcome in Red Square on 9 August etc.)
3. As well as this, it is important that the President can activate political support from his senior contacts in Russian politics directly and not rely totally on Valentin to do this for him, as I believe there is a lot of political infighting in Russia. Better that the President is able to go directly to ensure that the promises of the Mayor and the Sports Minister and the Defence Minister etc will be carried out as promised.
4. Finally, as soon as possible, and ‘unofficially’ PR campaign to ensure we avoid international media scandals related to the Moscow Championships especially in the British press, where the worst of the articles is coming from. This will require specialist PR skills (working only with me directly) from London, but I believe that if we consider using CSM we can also benefit from Seb’s political influence in the UK. It is in his personal interest to ensure that the Moscow World Champs is a success and that people do not think that the media of his own country are trying to destroy it... We can work extremely hard in stopping any planned ‘attack’ on Russia from the British press in the coming weeks.
5. Finally, I need to be able to sit down with the Anti-doping department and understand exactly what Russian ‘skeleton’ we still have in the cupboard regarding doping. I think that the time to have unveiled the various athletes was a long time ago and that we now need to be smart. These athletes, of course, should NOT be part of any Russian team for these World Championships and Valentin should be pressurized to make sur (sic) this is the case. If the guilty ones are not competing then we might as well wait until the event is over to announce them. Or we announce one or two BUT AT THE SAME TIME as athletes from other countries. Also we can prepare a special dossier on IAAF testing which will show that one of the main reasons why these Russian athletes come up positive is that they get tested a lot!!! In the same way, we can make the point that the WADA laboratory is the responsibility of WADA not IAAF and that if WADA decides there really is a problem, we have a plan B to do the tests in Lausanne instead (Gabriel confirmed this to me yesterday).
Papa - as soon as I have an idea of the price of this unofficial PR campaign I will let you know, but I will do everything in my power to protect the IAAF and the President.
All the best Nick.