BEIJING - Eighties icon, former member of parliament and the architect of the 2012 London Olympics, Sebastian Coe is on the cusp of becoming one of the most powerful figures in sport. The Briton's first job could be to defend athletics from stinging allegations of widespread doping which threaten to cast a dark cloud over this month's world championships in Beijing. Coe appears to have edged closer to securing the presidency of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) after receiving strong backing from European countries. The 58-year-old is being challenged by Sergey Bubka, Ukraine's former pole vault king, in the vote to succeed Lamine Diack as president, with the election taking place on August 19 in Beijing, before the start of the world championships.