Coe warns on interference in sport: Keep politicians on the bus but out of the driver's seat
Coe said sport needs government ties but warned politicians must not control decisions, as World Athletics defends its ban on Russian athletes.
- On Friday, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe warned that sports organizations must resist government political interference, stating: "The balance is keeping the politicians on the bus but not letting them anywhere near the steering wheel."
- Coe's caution emerged while addressing concerns about political turmoil at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, though he acknowledged that strong relationships with Treasury, Defense, and Homeland Security remain essential for Olympic delivery.
- The 69-year-old Coe, a two-time Olympic gold medalist who led the 2012 London Olympics, demonstrated this principle by firmly responding to political pressure: "I hear what you say, but thank you and goodnight."
- Coe plans to defend World Athletics' ban on Russian athletes at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, asserting: "This is not about politics or passports. This is about the integrity of competition."
- Beyond political concerns, Coe encouraged athletics federations to pursue private equity partnerships while maintaining governance standards, noting that with World Athletics sponsorship deals expiring in 2029, securing external revenue is "an absolutely critical conversation.
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LA Olympics has to allow politicians on the bus, just not behind the wheel
Coe, the man who delivered the London Games as head of the local organising committee, says the organisers of the Los Angeles Olympics in two years' time will have to accept working shoulder-to-shoulder with the US administration. "I know it's really important that you have really good working relationships with government, prime ministers," said Coe, who is now head of track and field's governing body World Athletics. The United States have jus…
Sebastian Coe warns on interference in sport: Keep politicians on the bus but out of the driver’s seat
World Athletics president Sebastian Coe has discussed topics including track and field’s ban on Russian athletes, private equity in sports and FIFA’s credibility crisis following a controversial overturned red card at the World Cup
Associated Press News
Coe warns on interference in sport: Keep politicians on the bus but out of the driver's seat
World Athletics president Sebastian Coe has discussed topics including track and field’s ban on Russian athletes, private equity in sports and FIFA’s credibility crisis following a controversial overturned red card at the World Cup.
Coe warns politicians must stay off sport’s ‘steering wheel’
Photo: Erik van Leeuwen, attribution: Erik van Leeuwen (bron: Wikipedia). / Wikimedia Commons (GFDL) World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said Friday that global sports bodies must resist political interference, drawing a sharp line between productive government relationships and letting elected officials dictate outcomes on the field. Speaking to journalists at the European championships, the 69-year-old two-time Olympic gold medalist framed…
Sebastian Coe has a simple approach to avoiding political interference in global sport.
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