Sebastian Coe
Sebastian Newbold Coe, Baron Coe CH KBE Hon FRIBA (born 29 September 1956), often referred to as Seb Coe, is a British politician and former track and field athlete. As a middle-distance runner, Coe won four Olympic medals, including 1500 metres gold medals at the Olympic Games in 1980 and 1984. He set nine outdoor and three indoor world records in middle-distance track events – including, in 1979, setting three world records in the space of 41 days – and the world record he set in the 800 metres in 1981 remained unbroken until 1997. Coe's rivalries with fellow Britons Steve Ovett and Steve Cram dominated middle-distance racing for much of the 1980s.
The Lord Coe | |
|---|---|
Coe during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in 2012 | |
| President of World Athletics | |
| Assumed office 19 August 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Lamine Diack |
| Chairman of the British Olympic Association | |
| In office 7 November 2012 – 24 November 2016 | |
| President | The Princess Royal |
| Preceded by | The Lord Moynihan |
| Succeeded by | Sir Hugh Robertson |
| Chairman of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games | |
| In office 24 August 2008 – 12 August 2012 | |
| IOC President | Jacques Rogge |
| Preceded by | Liu Qi |
| Succeeded by | Carlos Arthur Nuzman |
| Chair of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games | |
| In office 7 October 2005 – 30 May 2013 Chair of the London bid: 18 May 2004 – 7 October 2005 | |
| Preceded by | Barbara Cassani |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Chief of Staff to the Leader of the Opposition | |
| In office 19 June 1997 – 13 September 2001 | |
| Leader | William Hague |
| Preceded by | Jonathan Powell |
| Succeeded by | Jenny Ungless |
| Member of the House of Lords | |
Lord Temporal | |
| as a life peer 16 May 2000 – 31 January 2022 | |
| Member of Parliament for Falmouth and Camborne | |
| In office 9 April 1992 – 8 April 1997 | |
| Preceded by | David Mudd |
| Succeeded by | Candy Atherton |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Sebastian Newbold Coe 29 September 1956 Hammersmith, London, England |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouses | Nicky McIrvine
(m. 1990; div. 2002)Carole Annett (m. 2011) |
| Children | 4 |
| Parent |
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| Alma mater | Loughborough University |
| Sports career | |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) |
| Weight | 119 lb (54 kg) |
| Sport | Athletics/Track, Mid-distance running |
| Event(s) | 800 meters, 1500 metres, Mile |
| Team | Hallamshire Harriers, Sheffield Haringey AC, London |
Medal record | |
Following Coe's retirement from athletics, he was a Conservative member of parliament from 1992 to 1997 for Falmouth and Camborne in Cornwall, and became a Life Peer on 16 May 2000.
He headed the successful London 2012 Olympic bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics and became chairman of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games. In 2007, he was elected a vice-president of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), and re-elected for another four-year term in 2011. In August 2015, he was elected president of the IAAF.
In 2012, Coe was appointed Pro-Chancellor of Loughborough University where he had been an undergraduate. Subsequently, in 2017, he was appointed as Chancellor. He is also a member of Loughborough University's governing body. He was one of 24 athletes inducted as inaugural members of the IAAF Hall of Fame. In November 2012, he was appointed chairman of the British Olympic Association. Coe was presented with the Lifetime Achievement award at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year in December 2012.
At the 2024 Millrose Games, Coe was awarded The Armory's Presidents Award.