Russia should be banned from competition following their turbulent record of doping, UK Athletics chairman Ed Warner suggested here today.

It being general election week here in the United Kingdom, I thought it would be a good time to take a look at the two high-profile electoral battles currently being waged in the world of sport, via the medium of the candidates’ Twitter feeds.

Not because I judge this likely to offer great insights into the identity of the eventual winners: the sports officials in whose hands the outcomes lie are assuredly far too high-minded to be swayed by anything as trivial as social media.

Sebastian Coe and Sergey Bubka, effectively on the campaign trail ahead of this summer’s Presidential election within the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), have offered their latest election promises while attending the Oceania Area Athletics Championships in Cairns, Australia.

Have you caught the election bug? We are not talking Cameron v Miliband here, that messy political punch-up which seems to be heading for a bore draw, or at best a split decision, when Great Britain goes to the polls on May 7.

The British Olympic Association (BOA) have announced an eight-year renewal with leading sportswear brand Adidas, which will see their partnership continue up to and including the 2024 Olympic Games.

Svein Arne Hansen’s first speech as European Athletics President - delivered at  the Congress in Bled where he was voted in as successor to the longstanding appointee Hansjörg Wirz - went down well, with a ripple of laughter greeting his sign-off statement:

“I said I didn’t want people just to be involved, I wanted them to be committed,” Hansen recalls. “My final line was that it was like eggs and bacon - the chicken is involved, but the pig is committed.”

At the age of 68, with just one four-year term allowed to him to make his mark, Hansen is determined to make the most of a position he sought four years ago before losing by 28 votes to 22 to the Swiss who has just relinquished his post after 16 years in office.

Sergey Bubka’s manifesto, launched this week ahead of his challenge for the Presidency of the International Association of Athletics Federations, features key policies including greater funding for National Federations, particularly the needier of them. 

A business commission to maximise commercial revenue, and increased grants and assistance for National Federations were two of the key ideas floated by Sergey Bubka today as he launched his manifesto ahead of this summer’s for the Presidency of the International Assocation of Athletics Federations.