IAAF President Lamine Diack mourns passing of Nelson Mandela

The world is today in mourning over the death of one of its most respected and revered icons, former South African president Nelson Mandela, who died on Thursday (5).

Mandela always believed that sport had a special role to play in South Africa’s period of transition towards a multiracial society. As such, in 1999 he was presented with the ‘Peace Through Sport’ Jesse Owens Trophy for his efforts to reconcile South Africans through sport.

It was during Mandela’s reign that marathon runner Josiah Thugwane won a significant gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Games, becoming the first black athlete from South Africa to win an Olympic title.

IAAF President Lamine Diack today paid his condolences to a man he considered a role model.

“As any other citizen of the world, I learnt with utmost grief and sorrow of the passing of President Nelson Mandela, whom I was privileged to have known personally,” said Diack.

“In spite of the long-lasting and uncompromising fight he had had to put up in order to rid his country of apartheid and injustice, he was also able to rise high above personal resentment to champion the cause of peace and unity which proved to be instrumental in the construction of the South African rainbow nation.

“On the sad occasion of his demise, which comes as a shock to us all, I would like to stand on behalf of the world athletics family, which widely contributed to the fight against apartheid in sport, to extend our most sincere condolences and heart-felt sympathy to his bereaved family and to the South African people by whom we stand in compassion.

“May late Madiba’s legacy of wisdom and tolerance live on in each one of us as we strive to build a better world.”

IAAF