By Mitch Phillips

TOKYO (Reuters) -David Howden, chairman of the Athletics Integrity Unit, says his organisation’s anti-doping work is having a tangible impact on the sport and the evidence is to be seen in the wider range of countries winning medals at the World Championships.

The AIU was set up as an independent arm of World Athletics in 2017 following the Russian doping scandal and is seen by many as the benchmark across all sport for fighting the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

After his victory in the 10,000 metres final in Tokyo on Sunday, Frenchman Jimmy Gressier – the second-ever non-Africa-born winner of the event and first since 1983 said; “Today I beat East Africa. The AIU is doing a huge job and it helps to level the playing field a bit more.”

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