Sebastian Coe said on Thursday (26 November) that he quit his advisory role at Nike due to it being a "distraction" from his duties as IAAF President, as opposed to a conflict of interest.

SOUNDBITE (English) Sebastian Coe, IAAF President:

"It is clear that perception and reality have become horribly mangled. I've made the following decisions in consultation with the organisations that I'm involved with. Firstly, I have stepped down from my ambassadorial role with Nike, which dates back 38 years. The current noise level around this ambassadorial role is not good for the IAAF and it's not good for Nike. And frankly, it is a distraction to the 18-hour days that I and our teams are working to steady the ship."

SOUNDBITE (English) Sebastian Coe, IAAF President:

"No, I don't believe that it was a conflict of interest. I've always declared my interests with Nike as I have across a range of activities, but it was purely on the basis that I felt that I needed to be able to focus, as I've said, unflinchingly on the challenges ahead, with my colleagues and particularly with the executive teams here at our headquarters. And it had become a distraction. There's no doubt about that."