IAAF president Seb Coe accepts athletics' world governing body covered up doping but says he had no knowledge of it.

An independent World Anti-Doping Agency report claims there is no way members of the organisation's council were not aware of any cheating.

It revealed corruption and conspiracy co-ordinated by Coe's predecessor Lamine Diack, with report author Dick Pound accepting the current IAAF president's assertion that he was not aware of the extent of what was going on.

Coe, who was in attedance at today's WADA report press conference has called the cover-up "abhorrent".

"We're not in denial. We know that this has been a cover-up. The delays were a cover-up. The athletes were ultimately sanctioned, punished and out of competition. But even four delays is too much and I accept this was a cover-up," he said.