体坛英语新闻：Kenya's Rudisha supports Coe bid for IAAF presidency in 2015

NAIROBI, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's Olympic 800m champion David Rudisha has waded into the murky that is International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) presidential elections by throwing his support behind the mentor, Britain's Sebastian Coe.

In his tweet message, Rudisha who has started training for the 2015 season said he supported the former Olympics 800m silver medallist to rule the track and field world governing body.

"A manifesto with vision and ambition. I fully support @sebcoe in his campaign to become @iaaforg President," Rudisha tweeted.

Rudisha has never shied away from embracing the British athlete, especially hugging him after he set a world record at the London Olympics in 2012 clocking 1:40.91.

Rudisha hopes to recapture his form that saw him break the world record on three occasions and stay for over 26 races over a two year period without losing in his bid to recapture the World Championship gold medal in Beijing, China in August.

Senegalese Lamine Diack, 81, is stepping down next year after 16 years in the role and Coe, a former middle-distance runner and double Olympic champion at 1,500 metres, hopes to succeed him. However, he will face stiff challenge from former Ukrainian pole vault champion Sergei Bubka, who is also an IAAF vice-president.

Former Moroccan hurdler Nawal El Moutawakel, the first Muslim woman to win an Olympic gold medal, has also been tipped to stand for election.

The deadline for candidates to register for the vote is May 2015. The election will take place at the IAAF Congress in Beijing in August.

Athletics Kenya President Isaiah Kiplagat, who is a current IAAF council member, has said he will be eyeing one of the vice president positions.

Coe, who is also an IAAF Vice President, made public his vision for Athletics and the IAAF as part of his campaign to become President of the IAAF on Wednesday.

In a campaign Manifesto entitled "Growing Athletics in a New Age", Coe outlines four key pillars underpinned by a comprehensive series of proposals to guide his vision for Athletics and the IAAF if he is successful in his bid to become IAAF President.

The four key elements are embracing change to secure a better future, Decentralisation and empowerment, Maximizing commercial growth and Ensuring integrity and trust.

This plans include reform of World Athletics Calendar, restructuring the IAAF commercial department, focus on youth engagement, and ensuring greater commercial opportunities for athletes and increased anti-doping and integrity resources with creating a new IAAF Etics Department and supporting the independence of all Member Federations.

"We need to be more innovative in how we project and present our sport to the world, both in venue and on screen, give serious consideration to an 'IAAF Street Athletics' circuit to help reach new audiences, and create a new IAAF division that has the sole purpose of focusing on youth engagement, especially via social media," said Coe.