I want to be the most powerful man in world sport says British hero Lord Coe
LORD SEBASTIAN COE has vowed to shake-up the Olympic Movement if he becomes president, saying: There’s too much power in the hands of too few people.
On Thursday, Britain’s double Olympic 1500 metres champion revealed details behind his bid to become the most powerful man in sport.
International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, 70, steps down in 2025 after 12 years and Coe, 68, is up against six candidates to replace the German.
His manifesto was launched 21 floors up The Turing Building, which overlooks Stratford in East London where the London 2012 Olympics were held – Coe was chairman of that organising committee.
If elected next March in Athens, Coe has vowed to:
+ Protect and promote the integrity of women’s sport (“I’ll advocate for clear, science-based policies that safeguard the female category.”)
+ Revamp the Olympics commercial model after three top sponsors quit after the Paris 2024 Games.
+ Possibly switch some indoor sports from the summer Olympics to the winter Games.
+ Empower the 100-plus IOC membership and give them decision-making responsibility.
+ Strengthen anti-doping systems by enhancing funding and use legal methods to nail dopers.
+ Get more young people involved in the Olympics – but breakdancing will not return under Coe.
Coe, who has been World Athletics boss since 2015, said: “It’s exciting. It’ll be the privilege and honour of my life to do this.
“And I’m ready. I take absolutely nothing for granted.
“But I’ll work harder for this than I’ll probably ever work for anything. Because I think ultimately the treasure at the end is really dramatic here.
“Here in Stratford is probably the best demonstration of anything that I’ve delivered.
“None of this would have happened without using the extraordinary power of the Olympic Movement.
“To have built a new city inside an old city in seven years. To do it from a standing start. To leave 50,000 permanent, meaningful jobs and new houses, three universities.
“That’s the power of the Movement. Every day, if I’m privileged to do this job, I’ll be squeezing every ounce of that.
“The vision is simple. To use the inspirational power of the Olympic Movement to deliver the Greatest Show on Earth every two years.
“In simple terms, I just want to use the experience that I think I’ve amassed over many years. I want to build, I want to reform and I want to deliver.”
Coe, a Tory MP for five years, knows he is “not an insider” and is up against favourite Juan Antonio Samaranch Junior and Bach protégé Kirsty Coventry.
The former 1500 metres world record holder said: “In the IOC room are some really smart people. Some of them have got brains the size of planets.
“Some are running great chunks of the global marketplace. They’re cultural icons.
“They’re coaches. Educators. Members of the Royal Family. Former Prime Ministers or presidents of countries. There’s no shortage of talent there.
“But what input do I and other members have? The reality is there isn’t enough. There’s too much power in the hands of too few people.
“This isn’t a broken organisation. It can be so much better. There has to be safe space for discussion.”
With Saudi Arabia confirmed as hosts for the 2034 Fifa World Cup, it is inevitable they will target the Olympics over the next decade – either winter or summer.
Coe, a longstanding member of Amnesty International, has “active discussions” with desert sports bosses over track-and-field and has not ruled out working with them if he gets the top job.
But says he has “uncompromising conversations with governments and sometimes Heads of State” over human rights concerns when awarding tournament rights to host countries.