Lausanne, Moscow: Disgraced former IAAF president Lamine Diack on Tuesday resigned as president of the International Athletics Foundation in the wake of damaging corruption charges that have rocked track and field.

“The IAAF confirms it has tonight (Tuesday) received a letter from Lamine Diack resigning his position as President of the International Athletics Foundation (IAF),” the IAAF said in a statement.

“This information has been passed to IAF Honorary President Prince Albert II of Monaco.

“Discussions will be held in due course regarding the IAF and the appointment of a new IAF President.”

Established by the IAAF in 1986 by then-IAAF president Primo Nebiolo, the foundation’s “primary mission is to charitably assist the world governing body for track and field athletics... and its affiliated national governing bodies in perpetuating the development and promotion of athletics worldwide”.

Diack took over as foundation president after Nebiolo’s death in 1999.

The foundation is best known in the public eye for organising the prestigious black-tie gala awards, which honour the best athletes of the year.

The IAAF last week cancelled this year’s annual gala just days after Diack was charged by French police with corruption over suspicions he took bribes to cover up doping cases.

In Moscow, Vladimir Putin cancelled a meeting with the country’s sports leaders because of heavy rain in Sochi on Wednesday.

The Russian president had been due to discuss the doping allegations published Monday in the World Anti-Doping Agency commission’s report. Because of the report, which accused Russia of operating a vast state-sponsored doping program, the country’s track and field team is facing possible exclusion from next year’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

According to Russian state news agencies, Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the reason for the cancellation was heavy rain that has restricted flights in and out of Sochi, the host city of last year’s Winter Olympics.

“The decision was taken by the president to continue his working timetable,” Peskov said in comments reported by the RIA Novosti agency.

Putin had been due to meet with track federation coach Yuri Borzakovsky and other Russian sports leaders in Sochi. The plane carrying the sports officials was forced to land in the city of Mineralnye Vody, where they have instead arranged a meeting with Russian Olympic Committee president Alexander Zhukov.

Peskov added that Putin would be briefed and may hold another meeting on sports and doping issues later in the day, depending on how the weather conditions develop.

— Agencies