#360view: Sebastian Coe must translate words into action

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • At the helm: Sebastian Coe.

    Sebastian Coe’s position at the head of world athletics has always had somewhat of an air of destiny about it.

    Charm personified from the moment he emerged as one of the finest middle distance runners of all time, Coe was the sleek and stylish establishment figure to his great rival Steve Ovett’s more gritty, everyman persona.

    Ovett himself once said when commenting on his running style that, Coe was “bullet-proof”. The same could probably be said of his rise up the world of sports administration, ascending the ladder with poise and panache, wowing delegates and sponsors around the world with his inspirational public speaking and smooth as silk charm.

    London 2012 was a huge feather in his cap and while the Olympics, on the face of it, were an enormous success, Coe – true to Ovett’s words – has evaded any subsequent criticism that his “Olympic legacy” promise – amid falling participation numbers in sport in Britain – was largely nothing more than a smart soundbite. The true legacy of London 2012 has largely been economic and political, not sporting.

    There is no doubt athletics remains dear to Coe’s heart and he is a passionate and dedicated supporter, independent of his administrative roles both past and present. But Coe has a job on his hands trying to instil that sort of passion in a public slowly falling out of love with sport in its purest form.

    The World Championships begin in the Chinese capital on Saturday but what has dominated the news agenda leading into the event has not been about Bolt v Gatlin, Genzebe Dibaba’s bid for a historic 1500m/5000m double attempt or David Rudisha (one of Coe’s favourite athletes) stepping onto the track, it’s been about ‘the D-word’. Questions about doping continue to hang round the sport, and upon his coronation Coe was immediately fielding questions about his stance on the subject.

    As he reinforced the “zero tolerance” line that the IAAF sticks by, it was a little galling to hear it from someone who two weeks earlier had branded the The Sunday Times and German broadcaster ARD/WDR’s revelations that as many as third of Olympic and world championships medallist since 2001 had suspicious blood readings, as not an expose in the interests of the long-term health of athletics but, “a declaration of war on my sport”.

    The strive for a clean sport should be as integral and important as the desire for wooing sponsors and TV networks, it should underpin everything the IAAF does

    As strong as that was, it reveals a slightly worrisome aspect at the heart of the IAAF; they just don’t want to know. The truth, however grim it may or may not be, is just not worth it, because the immediate aftermath is too destructive. Close ranks, we know best, protect your mates, fingers in the ear time.

    The IAAF continue to preach zero tolerance but one of the main attractions in Beijing is Gatlin who has been popped twice for banned substances. Added to the news this week that only a third of all athletes competing will be tested and the tolerance actually seems to be slightly higher than zero.

    Coe’s defensiveness (he also  branded two of the world’s leading authorities in the field as “so-called experts”) was understandable in the context that he was running for election but beyond that you can only hope his mindset changes.

    Doping is still going on and will more than likely occur over the next nine days in Beijing. Some are even being caught for stanozolol, the same drug Ben Johnson infamously used in 1988, which is more than a little troubling.

    Most of these athletes remain unknown and fly under the radar of the public consciousness. The show-stopping scandals – the Marion Jones, Lance Armstrong and Alex Rodriguez cases, to draw on other sports –  do not come via testing. They were, and will probably continue to be, exposed by outside agencies, rather than the bodies designed to uphold the morals of the sport they govern.

    The strive for a clean sport should be as integral and important as the desire for wooing sponsors and TV networks, it should underpin everything the IAAF does. Because eventually, if the enforced ignorance and paranoia continues, another Jones-type scandal will come along, and it’s difficult to see if public patience will last the pace.

    Recommended