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Sebastian Coe has been elected president of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF.)
The former British long-distance runner beat Ukraine’s ex-pole vaulter Sergey Bubka by 115 votes to 92 at the governing body’s 50th Congress in Beijing.
The former Olympic 1,500 metres champion will replace Senegalese Lamine Diack, who has run the body for the last 16 years, at the end of the Aug. 22-30 world championships in Beijing.
Coe’s initial term will be for four years.
The 58-year-old Briton will have to face accusations that the body failed to tackle, or even covered up, widespread doping in some of the world’s most prestigious competitions.
Coe has defended the IAAF’s record on doping and said that under his leadership the sport would move towards setting up its own anti-doping agency.