Sebastian Coe
Sebastian Coe
Sebastian Newbold Coe, Baron Coe, CH KBE FRIBA, often referred to as Seb Coe or Lord Coe, is a British politician and former track and field athlete. As a middle-distance runner, Lord Coe won four Olympic medals, including the 1500 metres gold medal at the Olympic Games in 1980 and 1984. He set eight 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...
NationalityBritish
ProfessionPolitician
Date of Birth29 September 1956
joined
I joined the local athletics club when I was 12, that's what I did. I did it of my own volition.
chance given olympic spoke
In 1981, I spoke at the Olympic Congress. I was scandalised that I was the first athlete to be given that chance. But I made the most of it.
games sports
In all Games, there is always a tendency, particularly in the lead up to the Games when there isn't much sport to talk about, to write about things that are not sport.
everybody good outlet people recognises sports
Everybody recognises that giving young people competitive outlet through sport is a very good thing.
biggest fragility inability people
The biggest fragility in a project is often just the inability to be able to explain to people why you are doing it, and when you're going to do it, and what's going to happen.
people sector types
I'm probably one of the few people who can say I did all three types of state sector schooling.
five sure system
I'm not sure there are enough coaches in the system that can take young talent and consistently get them into the top five in the world.
momentum people seriously taken
The international people tell us that we are taken seriously and that there is a momentum.
marginal power
There is nothing so marginal as a party that has been in power for 18 years and slides into opposition. You influence nothing.
believing christmas expect happening olympic stadium work
Don't expect to see an Olympic Stadium up after Christmas, but don't also be lulled into believing nothing is happening because right at this moment, construction is underway. Work has started and it's started very quickly.
athletes balls coming foot good heel hope perfect run slight tilt
You hope all good athletes run on the balls of their feet. You don't want them coming down heel first. The perfect style is the foot to come down with a slight supination and on a tilt to the outside.
essays handed joke lecturer university
At university level, I had an economics lecturer who used to joke that I was the only student who handed in essays on British Airways notepaper.
believe government half quite time
I actually don't believe in big government, and half the time I'm never quite sure I believe in government, generally.
argument countries country facilities legacy longer russia saying since sports venues winter
Since the break-up of the 1990s, Russia has not had winter sports facilities. All the winter sport venues were effectively located in countries that are no longer part of the federation. There is a strong argument for saying Sochi's legacy will be this country will have winter sports facilities it did not have before.