media_artricles :: 2015

Man of many talents

Lord Coe laying groundwork ahead of IAAF presidential bid

England’s Sebastien Coe has a long and distinguished career. First as an Olympian and former record-breaking middle distance runner; a parliamentarian; and now as a sports administrator. Lord Coe as he’s known in some circles, won four Olympic medals, established eight outdoor and three indoor world records, and featured in a fierce middle distance rivalry in the early to mid-80s with fellow Britons Steve Cram and Steve Ovett.

As the world record holder he was favourite to win 800-metre gold at the 1980 Moscow Olympics but had to settle for silver behind Ovett. He made amends when he copped gold in the 1,500 metres event a few day later, relegating Ovett to the bronze medal. Four years later in Los Angeles, Coe was again denied gold in the 800m when Brazil’s Joaquim Cruz clocked one minute, 43 seconds to the Briton’s 1:43:64. 

Coe was not expected to successfully defend his 1,500m title as Cram was installed as the favourite. However, he showed just why he was the uncrowned king of middle distance running when he upstaged his countryman to clinch the title and become the only man to have won Olympic 1,500m gold twice.

Life after track and field for Coe has been equally impressive. A member of the British Parliament from 1992-1997 as a member of the Conservative Party was followed by him joining the House of Lords in 2000 and gaining the distinction of being addressed as Lord Coe.

His political life was followed by him being appointed chairman of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Bid (2003-2005), which was successfully won; chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the London Olympics (2005-2012); as well as chairman of the British Olympic Association (2012).

His next venture was as a sports administrator where he was elected as vice-president of the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF) in 2007 and gaining re-election in 2011 for a second term, which he’s currently serving. In 2012 he was also one of 24 athletes inducted as inaugural members of the IAAF’s Hall of Fame.

The Express spoke with Coe during his attendance of the 2015 Southern Games at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium in Marabella on his recent trip to Trinidad. “Life after track and field has been really interesting because I was at the Parliament and then became a government minister for a short period of time, but it has never been far away from sport. So my last ten years has been with sports and helping to deliver an Olympic Games and my last few years have given me a chance to get back into track and field because I’ve been an IAAF council member since 2003. 

Coe, who said he owes everything to track and field, added: “The very reason we are doing this interview today is not because of the London Olympics or because I was in Parliament. It’s because I was in track and field, it’s because I was a competitor and because I was lucky enough to go to an Olympic Games. So this is my chance to put a little back into the sport and give the kids of tomorrow and the athletes of tomorrow the same chance that I had.”

He said he feels a sense of accomplishment serving as the IAAF vice-president. “I am very pleased to be doing that job, very pleased to be helping shape the future of my sport and I think it’s a big honour if you represent the sport internationally. I know that I’m a British member of that council but I represent the IAAF wherever we have federations and wherever we have sport and that’s why I’m in Trinidad (this weekend).

“Where the IAAF at our headquarters can be helping federations to deliver the sport more effectively, we must always remember the bedrock of our sport are the type of events that we’re watching here today where young people are given the opportunity to compete, to come through the ranks and hopefully, somebody I’ve been watching today will go on and win an Olympic gold medal for Trinidad and Tobago.

The IAAF vice-president said he was quite impressed with the state of track and field in Trinidad and Tobago. “I think it’s very encouraging when I’m watching 13-year-old girls running 25 and bits for 200 metres and watching the strength and depth that you have in your junior and youth ranks. I think it bodes extremely well. 

“The vibrancy of our top international teams tends to be reflected in the quality of the coaching amongst the younger ones and also the quality of the delivery of track and field in schools,” he continues, “And one thing I know in the Caribbean is that you’re very, very strong in both, and in Trinidad and Tobago it’s exactly the same.

With regard to his visit, Coe, who’s running for the IAAF presidency in August, said that he didn’t think one should stand for the presidency without making the effort to get to as many of the federations as possible to understand what their needs and challenges are.

He added that running for the presidency throws up a different kind of rivalry compared to track and field, and thus, he’s assuming nothing. “It’s sport so I assume absolutely nothing and I am working very hard. I hope over the course of the next few months and for the years before in everything I’ve done that I have gained the confidence of the sport. 

“It is my passion, I have only track and field. As a sporting interest I am not a member of the International Olympic Committee, that’s not what excites me. It’s my sport that excites me and I have an opportunity to shape the future of my sport, however, it is ultimately in the hands of 213 federations.

“It’s a very democratic process as every federation has a vote. The vote of pelau has the same weight as the vote of the United States of America or China and that’s the way it should be, so I will work very hard up until August and then it’s in the hands of the sport,” he said.

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