Sebastian Coe

The Right Honourable  The Lord Coe  KBE
Born	29 September 1956 (1956-09-29) (age 54) Chiswick
Nationality	British
Political party	Conservative
Alma mater	Loughborough University
Occupation	Peer and Athlete

Medal record
Competitor for  United Kingdom
Men's Athletics
Olympic Games
Gold	1980 Moscow	1500 m
Gold	1984 Los Angeles	1500 m
Silver	1980 Moscow	800 m
Silver	1984 Los Angeles	800 m
European Championships
Bronze	1978 Prague	800 m
Silver	1982 Athens	800 m
Gold	1986 Stuttgart	800 m
Silver	1986 Stuttgart	1500 m

Sebastian Newbold Coe, Baron Coe, KBE (born 29 September 1956), often known by his nickname Seb Coe^[1], is a former athlete and politician from the United Kingdom. A middle distance runner, Coe won four Olympic medals, including the 1500 m gold medal at the Olympic Games in 1980 and 1984, and set eight outdoor and three indoor world records in middle distance track events (and also participated in a world record relay). His rivalries with fellow Britons Steve Ovett and Steve Cram dominated middle-distance racing for much of the 1980s.^[2]

Following his retirement from athletics he served as a Member of Parliament for the Conservative Party from 1992–97, and became a life peer in 2000. He was the head of the London bid to host the 2012 Summer Olympics, and, after the International Olympic Committee awarded the games to London, became the chairman of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games. In 2007, he was also elected a vice-president of the International Association of Athletics Federations.

Background

Coe was born in west London, but was brought up in Sheffield attending Tapton^[3] and Abbeydale Grange schools. He joined athletics team Hallamshire Harriers at the age of 12, and quickly became a middle-distance specialist. He is probably better remembered as representing Loughborough University and later Haringey when not competing for his country.^[4]

He was coached by his father, Peter Coe, who designed workouts specifically for his son. Coe studied economics and social history at Loughborough University and won his first major race in 1977—an 800-metre event at the European indoor championships in San Sebastián, Spain. It was at Loughborough University that he met athletics coach George Gandy who had developed "revolutionary" conditioning exercise to improve Coe's running.^[5]

Athletic career

He first ran against Ovett in a schools cross country race in 1972. Neither won, nor did either win in their first major encounter in the European Championships Prague in 1978 in an 800 metre race, where Ovett (breaking Coe's UK record with a run of 1:44.09) was second and Coe finished third behind the East German Olaf Beyer. According to Pat Butcher^[6], Coe's father and coach Peter Coe had encouraged him to run as fast as he could from the start. The early pace was indeed exceptionally fast: Coe ran 200 metres in 24.3 seconds, 400 metres in 49.32 seconds and 600 metres in 1:16.2: then he slowed down and finished third in 1:44.76.

A few weeks later Coe was to reclaim the UK record, setting an all-comers' mark of 1:43.97 at Crystal Palace to rank him second in the world that year. In October 1978, Coe displayed endurance by winning a four-mile road-race in Ireland in 17:54, defeating of Eamonn Coghlan (1983 World 5000 m champion) and Mike McLeod (1984 Olympic 10000 m silver medalist), and breaking Brendan Foster's course record of 18:05.

The next year, 1979, Coe set three world records in 41 days. He set his first world records in Oslo, Norway in the 800-metre (1:42.33) and the mile (3:48.95) and later broke the world 1500 metre record (3:32.03) in Zurich, Switzerland. He easily won the 800 m at the European Cup in Turin in August, covering the last 200 m in 24.1 and anchored the British 4 x 400 m relay team with the fastest split of the quartet, 45.5. He remained undefeated at all distances that year, was voted "athlete of the year" by AW and T&FN and was ranked number one in the world at 800 m and 1500 m: no other athlete since has ranked number one at these distances in the same year.

In 1980 Coe broke Rick Wohlhuter's world record for 1,000-metres with a time of 2:13.40 and held all four middle distance world records simultaneously, the 800 m, 1000 m, 1500 m and the mile, for one hour until Ovett broke his mile record, another unique feat. In the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, Ovett and Coe won each other's speciality; Ovett the 800 metres, and Coe the 1500 metres (Coe came in second in the 800 after running what he described as "the worst tactical race of my life", while Ovett took third in the 1500). It was Ovett's first defeat at either one mile or 1500 metres in three years and 45 races, and Coe covered the last 400 m in 52.2 and the last 100 m in 12.1 seconds, the fastest ever finish at this distance.^[7][8]

1981 started off in February with an indoor world record over 800 m at Cosford, time 1:46.0. His world record in the 800 metre race in Florence on June 10: his 1:41.73 in the 800 metres remained unbeaten until August 1997. As of 2010, this still stands as the UK record. A month afterwards he set another record with 2:12.18 for 1000 m. Coe was more than 1.7 seconds (about 14 m in distance) faster than anyone on record at both distances. Between these two record breaking runs he won the Europa Cup 800 m semi-final, running the last 100 m in 11.3 (the fastest ever recorded). 1981 also saw him better the standard for the mile twice, first with a 3:48.53 in Zürich and then with a 3:47.33 in Brussels. Coe achieved a personal best of 3:31.95 in the 1500 metres. He remained undefeated in both the 1500 metres/mile and the 800 metres (including wins in the 1981 World Cup and European Cup) for the entire season, as in 1979. Track & Field News and Athletics Weekly magazines voted Coe Athlete of the Year, an honour he had also won in 1979.

Although he had a short season in 1982 due to injuries in June and July, he still managed to rank number one in the world in the 800 metres and participate in a world record 4 x 800 metres relay in which Coe, Peter Elliott, Garry Cook and Steve Cram's time of 7:03.89, a world record for 24 years. Coe's leg was the fastest of the day, a solo 1:44.01. However he won only silver in the 800 m in the 1982 European Championships in Athletics in Athens. Coe was unfit and decided to withdraw from the 1500 metres in those European Championships.^[9]

1983 started with world indoor records in the 800 metres in Cosford, England (1:44.91, breaking his own 1981 1:46.0) and the 1,000 metres (2:18.58) in Oslo, Norway, but Coe spent most of the year battling health problems including a prolonged bout with toxoplasmosis. He missed the inaugural IAAF World Championships in Athletics.^[10] . The disease was severe and he spent several months in and out of hospital on strong medication.

Coe returned to competition in spring 1984 and was selected for 800 and 1500 metres at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, though he was narrowly beaten by Peter Elliott in the AAA Championships. In the 800 metres he took silver behind Joaquim Cruz of Brazil but gold in the 1500 metres with an Olympic record of 3:32.53. His last 800 m was run in 1:49.8, his last lap 53.2 and his last 100 m in 12.7. He remains the only person to win successive Olympic 1500 metre titles. Following the race Cram made the often repeated quote "On the day there was only one man and on the day Seb Coe was that man". Cram beat Coe with a world mile record in the Dream Mile event at the Bislett Stadion, Oslo, Norway the following summer.

In 1986 Coe won the gold medal over 800 m at the European Championships in Stuttgart, beating Tom McKean and Cram.^[11] with a stunning last 200 m of 24.7. It was his only 800 m title at an international championship. He won the silver in the 1500 metres, behind Cram, after running a bad tactical race, and set a personal best over 1500 m with a 3:29.77 min performance in Rieti, Italy, becoming the fourth man in history to break 3:30 for the 1500 m. For the fourth year in his career ('79, '81, '82, '86), Coe ranked number one in the world in the 800 metres and was in the top two for 1500 metres for the 5th time.

Two years later he wasn't selected for the British 1988 Olympic Games team. The Daily Mirror ran a campaign and the president of the International Olympic Committee, Juan Antonio Samaranch, unsuccessfully tried to have the rules changed in Coe's favour. It was said that the Indian team was willing to include him on account of his mother's parentage,^[12].

Coe had one more good season in 1989, when, at the age of 33 and past his absolute best, he still won the 1500 m AAA title, was ranked number 1 Britain over both 800 m and 1500 m, ran the second fastest 800 m of the year (1:43.38) and won the silver medal at the World Cup over 1500 m. He retired from competitive athletics in early 1990, after having to bow out at the Auckland Commonwealth Games with yet another chest infection. He ended his career with eight different seasons of sub 1:44 800 metre times.

The Trinity College Challenge

One scene in the 1981 film Chariots of Fire recreates a race in which the runners attempt to round the perimeter of the Great Court at Trinity College, Cambridge in the time it takes the clock to double strike the hour at midday or midnight. Many have tried to run the 367 metres (401 yards) around the court in the 43.6 seconds that it takes to strike 12 o'clock. Known as the Great Court Run, students traditionally attempt to complete the circuit on the evening of the Matriculation Dinner. The only person recognized to have actually completed the run in time is Lord Burghley in 1927. It was thought that Sebastian Coe had succeeded when he beat Steve Cram in a charity race in October 1988, in a time of 42.53 seconds. But a video of the race apparently shows Coe was 12 metres short of the finish line when the last chime sounded which is why Trinity College never officially accepted his time.

Later career

Coe became Member of Parliament for Falmouth and Camborne in 1992, for the Conservative Party,^[2] but lost his seat in the 1997 general election. He returned to politics for a short time as William Hague's chief of staff, having taken a life peerage in 2000.^[13] During this time he tried his hand at a marathon, running a time of 2 hours and 58 minutes.

When London announced its bid to hold the 2012 Olympics, Coe became an ambassador for the effort and a member of the board of the bid company. With the May 2004 resignation of chairman Barbara Cassani, Coe became the chairman for the latter phase of the bid. As Coe was a well-known personality in Olympic sport, it was felt he was better suited to the political schmoozing needed to secure the IOC's backing. Coe's presentation at the critical IOC meeting in July 2005 was viewed by commentators as being particularly effective, and the bid won the IOC's blessing on 6 July.^[14]

Coe has often said that London 2012 is not only about five weeks of summer sport but about encouraging more people to take up sport at all levels of competition. Coe is the Patron of the British Dragon Boat Racing Association (BDA).^[15]

In September 2008 Coe controversially told reporters "Fuck 'em" when asked about the opposition to the creation of a footballing Team GB from Scottish and Welsh supporters as reported in The London Paper, 30 September 2008, page 5 "Coe: Yes to 2012 GB footy team - The Scots and Welsh? F*** 'em".^[16]

FIFA

Coe was appointed the first chairman of FIFA's new independent watchdog, FIFA's ethics commission. The commission will judge all cases alleging conflicts of interest and breaches of Fifa rules.^[17]

FIFA president Sepp Blatter made the announcement in Zurich on 15 September 2006 and said: "It is perhaps a surprise but it has been very well received. We have found an outstanding personality in the world of sport, a great personality in the Olympic movement." His appointment makes him one of the most senior Englishmen to work for FIFA.^[18]

He stood down from this post to join the committee bidding to bring the 2018 World Cup to England.

Personal life

Coe was born in Chiswick, London. His mother, Tina Angela Coe, died in Hammersmith and Fulham, London, in 2005, aged 75. His mother was half Indian, born to a Punjabi father Sardari Lal and an English mother Vera.^[19] His father, Peter Coe (born Percy N. Coe in Kingston-upon-Thames), died on 9 August 2008, aged 88, while Coe was in Beijing.

Coe married Nicky McIrvine, a former Badminton three-day-event champion, in Surrey, in 1990, with whom he has four children, two boys and two girls, all of whom were born in Surrey:

• The Hon. Madeline Rose Coe (8 July 1992–)
• The Hon. Harry Sebastian Newbold Coe (29 September 1994–)
• The Hon. Peter Henry Christopher Coe (31 May 1996–)
• The Hon. Alice India Violet Coe (25 September 1998–)

The marriage ended in divorce in 2002 after twelve years and Coe moved out of the family home.

He is a worldwide ambassador for Nike and owns a string of health clubs with a membership of 20,000. Coe is a knowledgeable follower of a wide range of sports, including football (he is a season ticket holder at Chelsea Football Club) and boxing (he was a steward for the British Boxing Board of Control), and has a very large collection of jazz records. He is a multimillionaire and a member of the East India Club, a private Gentlemen's Club in London. He has supported London athletic events like the London 10K of Nike and the British 10K charity race.

On 12 February 2010, Coe was the 19th runner on the 106th day of the Vancouver Olympic Torch Relay. Coe's leg was along the Stanley Park Seawall, and he exchanged a "torch kiss" with the previous runner, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the next runner, a 19 year old member of the Squamish community.^[20][21]

Awards

He was awarded with the first Prince of Asturias Award in sports category in 1987.

Coe was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1982 and an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1990.

He was created a life peer in 2000 as Baron Coe, of Ranmore in the County of Surrey.

In December 2005, Coe was given a Special award at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards ceremony.

He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2006 New Year's Honours List for services to sport.^[14]

Personal bests

Trivia

• Coe was featured in the Brass Eye [1] spoof documentary on paedophilia unwittingly accusing American blue-eyed soul singers Hall & Oates of not only being the same person but also of being child abusers. On Brass Eye's predecessor, The Day Today, Sebastian Coe was namechecked in a scene announcing he'd made some jam to donate to charity, leading Chris Morris to declare, "I hate Sebastian Coe!"
• As a student in Loughborough in the late 1970s Coe lived in Coe Avenue.
• He was a model for menswear retailer Horne Bros.
• American Olympic 1500 m and 5000 m athlete Jim Spivey is said to have named a son [2] after Coe.
• Appeared as himself in the episode 'Not a Good Day' from the 4th series (season) of the British sitcom "The Brittas Empire"
• Opened the Tonbridge School Centre for Sports and Media in June 2008
• Sebastian Coe is a Judo enthusiast.^[22]

Styles and honours

• Mr Sebastian Coe (1956–1982)
• Mr Sebastian Coe MBE (1982–1990)
• Mr Sebastian Coe OBE (1990–1992)
• Mr Sebastian Coe OBE MP (1992–1997)
• Mr Sebastian Coe OBE (1997–2000)
• The Rt. Hon. The Lord Coe OBE (2000–2006)
• The Rt. Hon. The Lord Coe KBE (2006–)

See also

• Middle distance track event

References

External links

• BBC Panorama: Fifa and Coe
• Sebastian Coe's foreword to 'Running the Race', biography of Olympic champion Eric Liddell ISBN 9780852346655
• Sebastian Coe's entries on the official blog of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games
• Sebastian Coe Profile: Made In Sheffield
• Guardian profile of Sebastian Coe
• Article by Sebastian Coe about his amazing rise to fame in 1979, The Daily Telegraph, 11 August 2009, Accessed 11 August 2009.
• Sebastian Coe has revamped London's bid for the 2012 Olympics
• Sebastian Coe promises Olympics to remember
• Sebastian Coe greatest race: the 2012 Olympics
• Why London won the games: The Sebastian Coe factor
• Coe Pays Tribute To Lord Stratford
• Students interview Sebastian Coe
• Sebastian Coe's Biography

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by David Mudd	Member of Parliament for Falmouth and Camborne 1992–1997	Succeeded by Candy Atherton
Records
Preceded by Alberto Juantorena	Men's 800 metres World Record Holder 1979-07-05 – 1997-07-07	Succeeded by Wilson Kipketer
Preceded by Filbert Bayi	Men's 1500 m World Record Holder 15 August 1979 – 27 August 1980	Succeeded by Steve Ovett
Preceded by John Walker	Men's Mile World Record Holder 17 July 1979 – 1 July 1980	Succeeded by Steve Ovett
Preceded by Steve Ovett	Men's Mile World Record Holder 19 August 1981 – 26 August 1981	Succeeded by Steve Ovett
Preceded by Steve Ovett	Men's Mile World Record Holder 28 August 1981 – 27 July 1985	Succeeded by Steve Cram
Preceded by Marcello Fiasconaro	European Record Holder Men's 800 m 5 July 1979 - 6 July 1997	Succeeded by Wilson Kipketer
Preceded by Jean Wadoux	European Record Holder Men's 1500 m 17 July 1979 - 26 August 1980	Succeeded by Steve Ovett
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Steve Ovett	BBC Sports Personality of the Year 1979	Succeeded by Robin Cousins
Preceded by Henry Rono	United Press International Athlete of the Year 1979	Succeeded by Eric Heiden
Preceded by Henry Rono	Men's Track & Field Athlete of the Year 1979	Succeeded by Edwin Moses
Preceded by Eric Heiden	United Press International Athlete of the Year 1981	Succeeded by Daley Thompson
Preceded by Edwin Moses	Men's Track & Field Athlete of the Year 1981	Succeeded by Carl Lewis
Preceded by Liu Qi	President of Organizing Committee for Summer Olympic Games Games of the XXX Olympiad	Succeeded by Carlos Arthur Nuzman