If elected as the next president of the International Olympic Committee, Sebastian Coe will accept Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Coe, a two-time Olympic champion and current world athletics president, is one of seven candidates aiming to succeed Thomas Bach as IOC president.
The candidates will present their manifestos to the full IOC membership at the end of January, before the vote for the new IOC president takes place at the IOC session in Greece on 18-21 March 2025.
As president of World Athletics, Coe has tackled some difficult issues such as doping, the Russian ban and the protection of female athletes and the women’s category, experience which he believes equips him for perhaps the most powerful position in world sport.
Why is Coe running?
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Sky Sports News’ Gerain Hughes explains why Algerian boxer Imane Khelief is taking legal action over media reports in France.
If elected, Coe will see being IOC president as a passion, not a job.He described it as a “dance he couldn’t sit out” and previously told Sky Sports it was a role he thought he wanted. is born.
Coe was one of the leading middle-distance runners in the 1970s and 1980s, winning two Olympic gold medals at the Moscow and Los Angeles Games. The 800m record stood for 16 years.
As a sports administrator, 19 years ago he convinced the IOC members to award the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games to London. In the days and weeks leading up to the vote for those Games, London appeared to be trailing Paris and Madrid, but Coe’s political know-how won over the IOC.
After representing the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, Coe was nominated as president of the IAAF, the world governing body for athletics, in 2015. In winning the election, he took over a sport that was in some trouble under previous president Lamine Diack.
Coe changed the governing body’s name from the IAAF to World Athletics and, controversially at the time, banned Russia from international athletics over state-sponsored doping.
Lord Sebastian Coe is running to replace Thomas Bach as president of the International Olympic Committee
What does Kou want to do?
Coe believes there is “too much power in the hands of too few” at the IOC.
If he becomes president, he is not seeking a revolution because he admits there are “really good people” in the IOC, but he wants substantial reforms.
He says the IOC is unbalanced and needs a reset around sport. Sport and athletes should be at the heart of all decision-making, along with the entire IOC membership.
Issues that Coe has to deal with.
Coe caused some consternation at the Paris 2024 Olympics when he announced that track and field athletes would receive prize money.
It saw gold medal winners receive US$50,000, the first time prize money was officially awarded at the Olympics, Coe believed that athletes should be the beneficiaries of the financial rewards offered at the Olympics.
As president of World Athletics, he oversaw a policy that prohibits transgender women from competing in the “female category.” The rule states that “no transgender athlete who has passed male puberty will be allowed to compete in the women’s world rankings.” competitions”.
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Sky Sports News’ Gerain Hughes explains why Algerian boxer Imane Khelief is taking legal action over media reports in France.
If Coe becomes the new president of the IOC, the issues related to the protection of the “women’s category” and prize money will be resolved.
She wants to debate and collaborate on new policies for the IOC and believes that if the organization had a clear policy on transgender athletes and those with DSD (sexual development differences) at Paris 2024, the controversy and misinformation surrounding the two female boxers would have evolved. avoided.
Coe says he is deeply concerned about climate change, but believes sport has a unique role to play in sustainability and changing attitudes, as the Olympics are a “mega sporting event” alongside the FIFA World Cup.
Many see huge sporting events as having a negative impact on climate change, while Coe believes the platform can make a difference, especially through the younger generation who are concerned about climate change.
What is Kou’s position towards Russia?
Russia is currently banned by the IOC, and athletes from Russia and Belarus are only allowed to participate in the Paris 2024 Olympics as neutral athletes.
A total of 32 neutral athletes from Russia and Belarus competed in Paris, none of whom were allowed to display any ties to Russia or Belarus, logos, flags or play any anthems.
The IOC banned Russia and Belarus due to the war in Ukraine and the annexation of four regions within Ukraine.
World Athletics, chaired by Seb Coe, went one step further at Paris 2024 when no athletics athletes from those countries were allowed to compete, even as neutral athletes.
Saudi Arabia can host the Olympic Games.
Saudi Arabia has been named the host of the 2034 FIFA World Cup
The short answer is yes.
Many people and organizations have expressed concern about awarding the 2034 FIFA World Cup to Saudi Arabia due to human rights concerns in the Kingdom.
If elected IOC president, Coe’s stance on Saudi Arabia’s expressed interest in hosting the Olympics and Paralympics is that he will listen and talk.
Coe said his belief is that it’s better to pay attention than to avoid difficult conversations, and he looks forward to having strong conversations about issues like human rights.
He also believes the IOC should consider moving the Summer Olympics from their traditional northern hemisphere summer months to winter if the heat and athlete welfare become an issue.
Kirsty Coventry, Juan Antonio Samaranch, Yohan Elias, Prince Faisal Al Hussein, David Lappariente and Morinari Watanabear are competing with Koi for the IOC presidency.
Who is Kou up against?
Six more candidates are fighting to become the next president of the IOC.
The only female candidate is Kirsty Coventry from Zimbabwe. Coventry was an Olympic decorated swimmer, winning gold medals at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics. After retirement, he was heavily involved in sports administration, including serving as Zimbabwe’s Sports Minister.
Another recognizable name is Juan Antonio Samaranch, the son of the former IOC president who bore his name. Samaranch Snr was the President of the IOC for 21 years from 1980 to 2001.
Other candidates include another British contender, Johan Elias, who is the current president of the International Skiing and Snowboarding Federation, Prince Faisal Al Hussein of Jordan, David Lapparient of France, who is president of the UCI, cycling’s world governing body, and Morinari Watanabe of Japan :
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