Organisers of the London 2017 World Championships are seeking to drop IAAF from their branding ©London 2017

Organisers for the London 2017 World Championships are considering attempts to remove the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) brand from all promotion in order to separate themselves from the under-fire world governing body.

Earlier this week Adidas reportedly decided to end their longstanding sponsorship of the IAAF because of the series of doping scandals which have rocked the sport. 

These were accompanied by allegations that a cabal of officials close to former IAAF President Lamine Diack were involved in a blackmail plot in which they accepted money from athletes in return for the covering-up of failed doping tests.

“The IAAF brand is completely toxic,” an unnamed bid insider told The Times.

“We want people to talk about the athletes, not the IAAF.

"In the past they have been very precious about having their logo in the right place and their name all over it.

"Now is the time to hide it.”

Sebastian Coe (left), pictured when London was awarded the World Championships in 2017, now faces a battle to recover the IAAF brand following the scandals to emerge under the tenure of his predecessor, Lamine Diack ©Getty Images
Sebastian Coe (left), pictured when London was awarded the World Championships in 2017, now faces a battle to recover the IAAF brand following the scandals to emerge under the tenure of his predecessor, Lamine Diack ©Getty Images

Such a decision would require the backing of the IAAF, now led by Britain's Sebastian Coe, a figure closely involved in London's successful bid to host the Championships.

It is possible the body could realise that it is in the best interest of all parties to agree to such a move, however, in order to preserve the reputation of the Championships, due to be held in the Olympic Stadium built for London 2012.

World Anti-Doping Agency Independent Commission chairman Richard Pound claimed earlier this month that systemic corruption within the IAAF "cannot be ignored or dismissed as attributable to the odd renegade acting on his own".

"We are currently engaged in conversations with both the IAAF and International Paralympic Committee over the event brand identities," a London 2017 spokesperson told insidethegames today.

"We hope to reach agreement and launch these shortly."

An IAAF spokesperson claimed, however, no such discussions had taken place.

“There has been no communication on the use of the IAAF brand for the IAAF World Championships London 2017," he told insidethegames.