Coe, the chairman of London 2012, had been onsidering standing if Diack had carried out his original plan to step down.

Diack had told delegates when he was re-elected at Osaka in 2007 that it would be the last time he would seek election.

Diack's departure was expected to spark an election involving Coe, the 1980 and 1984 Olympic 1500 metres champion, Ukraine's world pole vault record holder Sergey Bubka and possibly Nawal El Moutawakel, the 1984 Olympic 400m hurdles champion who is now a senior and influential member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

But Diack, a former Senegalese Government Minister who took over as President of the IAAF in November 1999 following the sudden death of Primo Nebiolo, now claims that he is being pressurised to continue in the role, which would see him remain in charge for the London 2012 Olympics, which coincides with the centenary of the founding of the IAAF.

Diack had first indicated that he may stay on at the IAAF on the eve of the World Championships at Berlin last August when he was asked by insidethegames whether rumours that he was considering to stand again were true and he confirmed that they were. 

Diack will be 78 when the election is held next year at Daegu, South Korea venue for the 2011 World Championships.

Diack had originally been expected to stand down to pursue an ambition to become the President of Senegal as a compromise candidate in the 2012 election.

Coe has previously told insidethegames that he would not stand against Diack. 

Diack's decision to stay on could potentially work in Coe's favour, however.

By 2015 - when the next election would be due - Coe's standing may be even higher than it is now if the London 2012 Games are successful and he has successfully negotiated the transition so that the Olympic Stadium continues to stage world-class athletics.

The vote for IAAF President could even take place in London because the capital is bidding to host the World Championships that year and the Congress would be held on the eve of the event.

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August 2009: Coe and Bubka Presidential hopes could be dashed by Diack