Interviewed here on the last day of the World Indoor Championships Bubka, a former athlete whose pole vault world record still stands after 17 years, told insidethegames: "We live in a crisis period.

"All companies must pay attention to costs.

"We can see that even large banks have been going bankrupt.

"So of course the IAAF must pay attention to costs as well."

He indicated that he expected the issue to be among questions up for discussion at this week’s IAAF Council meeting.

Speaking as the keenly-awaited semi-finals of the men’s 60 metres hurdles took place in the arena below us, Bubka - seen by many as a likely successor to Lamine Diack, the IAAF’s 76-year-old President – was highly complimentary about Doha’s staging of the World Indoor Championships.

"I think it’s great," he said.

"The venue is impressive, the organisation.

"They are doing a great job; very, very impressive."



Asked whether this would further the city’s ambitions to stage the Olympic Games [It bid unsuccessfully for the 2016 Games], Bubka, an International Olympic Committee (IOC) member, said: "Experience in hosting big events is very important."

However: “For them weather conditions are a major problem.

"This is a very warm country; during the summer it is very hot."

Turning to the introduction of the IAAF Diamond League, whose opening event will also take place in Doha later this year, he said: "You need to be always moving forward to promote your sport because competition between sports is so great.

"You cannot wait, you must be modern and react to society, crowds, television because you are living in this society.

"You cannot stay outside.

"I think you must be proactive."

Asked about the sport’s biggest asset - Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt - and his absence from Doha - Bubka said that athletics was "very happy to have him", but that 60m was not Bolt’s race and he needed "a mental break".

"What he has now besides sport is very difficult to manage," Bubka said.

"It brings a lot of additional pressure.

"He is a human being first of all.

"He must plan very carefully if he is to remain in the sport for many years."

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