Lord Coe’s controversial Olympic plans « Euro Weekly News

Lord Sebastian Coe, the four-time Olympic medallist and current World Athletics president, has unveiled a bold and controversial vision as part of his campaign to become the next president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

From proposing a ban on transgender athletes in women’s categories to moving summer sports to the Winter Olympics, Coe’s manifesto has sparked fierce debate across the sporting world.

Women’s sports and gender eligibility

One of Coe’s most critical proposals is the introduction of “clear, science-based policies” to protect the integrity of female sports. Speaking to Sky News, Coe said, “If you have a vacuum around this policy position, you end up with some of the things that we witnessed in Paris.”

Coe referred to the 2024 Paris Olympics, where Italian boxer Angela Carini quit her Olympic battle against the Algerian Imane Khelif, a fighter who previously failed a gender test, reigniting debate over fairness in women’s sports. He added, “We’ve been very clear in World Athletics that transgender athletes will not be competing in the female category at elite level.”

This stance mirrors policies already enforced by World Athletics under Coe’s leadership, which ban transgender women from competing in female events and impose stricter rules for athletes with differences in sex development (DSD). However, critics warn these measures risk alienating the transgender community and compromising inclusivity.

Summer sports joining the Winter Games?

Coe is also challenging tradition by proposing a rethink of Olympic scheduling to address the growing impact of climate change. Speaking to the BBC, he suggested that some indoor summer sports could be moved to the Winter Games, saying, “Climate change is going to fundamentally make us rethink the global calendar.”

International Olympic Committee (IOC) members

Coe criticised the current IOC structure, describing it as overly centralised with “too much power in the hands of too few people.” He vowed to empower IOC members, involve athletes in decision-making, and modernise the Games to maintain their global relevance.

“To sustain the Games, we must grow – not just financially but also in reach and relevance,” as cited by The Independent. “Commercial partners and broadcasters want modernisation.”

IOC presidency competition

Coe faces six rivals for the IOC presidency, each presenting their own vision:

• Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr. (Spain): Advocates adapting the Olympics to hotter climates and safeguarding women’s sports.
• David Lappartient (France): Focuses on balancing fairness with inclusivity through science-based decisions.
• Johan Eliasch (Sweden): Calls for unified gender eligibility rules to protect women’s competitions.
• Kirsty Coventry (Zimbabwe): Seeks to amplify athletes’ voices and improve IOC diversity.
• Morinari Watanabe (Japan): Proposes hosting the Games simultaneously across multiple cities worldwide.
• Prince Feisal al Hussein (Jordan): Promises to empower IOC members and raise their retirement age from 70 to 75 years.

The winner will be announced in March 2025. The IOC has never had a female president in its 130-year history.

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