Sebastian Coe facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable The Lord Coe CH KBE
Coe during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in 2012
President of World Athletics
Incumbent
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 (1956-09-29) 29 September 1956 (age 68) Hammersmith, London, England
Political party	Conservative
Spouses	Nicky McIrvine ​ ​ (m. 1990; div. 2002)​ Carole Annett ​ (m. 2011)​
Children	4
Parent	Peter Coe (father)
Alma mater	Loughborough University
Sebastian Coe Personal information Height 5 ft 9 in Weight 119 lb Sport Sport Athletics/Track, Mid-distance running Event(s) 800 metres, 1500 metres, Mile Team Hallamshire Harriers, Sheffield Haringey AC, London Achievements and titles Personal best(s) 400 m: 46.87 (London 1979) 800 m: 1:41.73 NR (Florence 1981) 1000 m: 2:12.18 AR (Oslo 1981) 1500 m: 3:29.77 (Rieti 1986) Mile: 3:47.33 (Brussels 1981) 2000 m: 4:58.84 (Bordeaux 1982) 3000 m: 7:54.33 (Cosford 1987) Medal record Men's athletics Representing  Great Britain 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 Athletics Championships Gold 1986 Stuttgart 800 m Silver 1982 Athens 800 m Silver 1986 Stuttgart 1500 m Bronze 1978 Prague 800 m Representing  Europe World Cup Gold 1981 Rome 800 m Silver 1989 Barcelona 1500 m

Sebastian Newbold Coe, also known as Seb Coe, is a famous British sports leader, former politician, and amazing athlete. He was born on 29 September 1956. As a middle-distance runner, Coe won four Olympic medals. These included gold medals in the 1500 metres at the Olympic Games in 1980 and 1984.

He set many world records in running. In 1979, he set three world records in just 41 days! His world record in the 800 metres from 1981 was not broken until 1997. Coe had exciting rivalries with other British runners, Steve Ovett and Steve Cram. These rivalries made middle-distance racing very popular in the 1980s.

After he stopped competing, Coe became a politician. He was a member of parliament from 1992 to 1997. Later, he became a Life Peer in 2000, which means he joined the House of Lords.

Coe led the successful bid for London to host the 2012 Summer Olympics. He then became the chairman of the committee that organized the games. In 2015, he was elected president of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), which is now called World Athletics. He was re-elected for his third and final term as president in August 2023.

Early Life and School

Sebastian Coe was born in London on 29 September 1956. His father, Peter Coe, was an athletics coach. His mother, Tina Angela Lal, had Indian and English/Irish family.

When he was very young, his family moved to Warwickshire. He went to primary and secondary schools there. Later, they moved to Sheffield, where he continued school.

Coe joined the Hallamshire Harriers running club when he was 12. He quickly became very good at middle-distance running. His father coached him. He also ran for Loughborough University and other clubs.

At Loughborough University, Coe studied Economics and Social History. He won his first big race in 1977, an 800 metres event in Spain. He also met a coach there, George Gandy, who helped him improve his running with new exercises.

Amazing Athletics Career

Sebastian Coe (#254) was the silver medallist in men's 800 m at the 1980 Olympics in Moscow.

Coe first became well-known in 1977 when he won an 800m race at the European Indoor Championships. He also set his first UK national outdoor record for the 800m that year.

In 1978, he continued to improve. He set another UK national record for the 800m. He also raced against his rival, Steve Ovett, for the first time in a major event at the European Championships in Prague. Coe finished third, and Ovett came second.

The year 1979 was incredible for Coe. He set three world records in just 41 days! He broke the 800m, mile, and 1500m world records. He was the first person ever to hold all three of these records at the same time.

In 1980, Coe broke the world record for the 1000m. This meant he held four world records at once: 800m, 1000m, 1500m, and the mile. This was a unique achievement!

At the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, Coe and Ovett competed in each other's best races. Ovett won the 800m, and Coe won the 1500m. Coe said his 800m race was "the worst tactical race of my life." But he made up for it by winning the 1500m.

In 1981, Coe set a new world record for the 800m with a time of 1:41.73. This record stood for 16 years! He also set another world record for the 1000m. He was undefeated in both 800m and 1500m/mile races that year.

Coe faced some injuries in 1982. However, he was part of a team that set a world record in the 4 × 800m relay. Their time of 7:03.89 was a world record for 24 years.

In 1983, Coe had health problems, including an illness called toxoplasmosis. He missed the first-ever World Championships in Athletics.

He returned strong for the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. He won a silver medal in the 800m. Then, in the 1500m final, he won the gold medal and set an Olympic record. He is still the only man to win two Olympic 1500m titles in a row.

In 1986, Coe won the 800m gold medal at the European Championships. He also ran his fastest-ever 1500m race, finishing in 3:29.77. This made him only the fourth man in history to run under 3 minutes and 30 seconds for that distance.

Coe had more injuries in 1987. He was not chosen for the 1988 Olympic team due to illness. He retired from competitive running in 1990. He had run under 1 minute and 44 seconds for the 800m in eight different years, which shows how consistently good he was.

Trinity College's Great Court Run

There's a famous scene in the 1981 movie Chariots of Fire. It shows runners trying to run around the Great Court at Trinity College, Cambridge. They try to finish before the clock stops striking 12 times. The distance is about 367 meters (401 yards), and the clock takes 43.6 seconds.

Only two people are officially recognized for completing this "Great Court Run" in time: David Cecil in 1927 and Sam Dobin in 2007. Sebastian Coe tried it in 1988 for a charity race and finished in 42.53 seconds. However, a video showed he was a bit short of the finish line when the last chime sounded, so his time was not officially accepted by the college.

Political Career

After his running career, Coe became a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Conservative Party in 1992. He represented the area of Falmouth and Camborne. He lost his seat in the 1997 election.

He later returned to politics for a short time. In 2000, he became a Life Peer as Baron Coe. This meant he became a member of the House of Lords. He retired from the House of Lords on 31 January 2022.

Sports Leadership Roles

London 2012 Olympic Games

Coe and South African Olympian Oscar Pistorius at an International Paralympic Day event at Trafalgar Square on 8 September 2011

Coe at Go Local, 2013

When London wanted to host the 2012 Olympics, Coe became a key person in the bid. He became the chairman of the bid company in 2004. Because he was well-known in sports, he was perfect for convincing the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Coe's presentation at the important IOC meeting in July 2005 was very effective. London won the right to host the games on 6 July.

Coe then became the chairman of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games. He helped make the 2012 Summer Olympics a huge success. He even helped convince Queen Elizabeth II to appear in a short film with James Bond for the opening ceremony!

Leading World Athletics

In 2007, Coe was chosen as a vice-president of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). This organization is now called World Athletics. He was re-elected in 2011.

In August 2015, Coe was elected president of the IAAF. He won against another famous athlete, Sergey Bubka. He was re-elected without opposition for his third and final term as President in August 2023.

British Olympic Association

After the London Olympics, Coe became the Chairman of the British Olympic Association. This organization helps prepare British athletes for the Olympic Games.

International Olympic Committee

On 17 July 2020, Coe was elected as a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The IOC is the group that organizes the Olympic Games. In September 2024, he was announced as one of the candidates to become the next IOC president.

Personal Life

Coe married Nicky McIrvine in 1990. They had two sons and two daughters. They divorced in 2002. In 2011, he married Carole Annett.

Coe is an ambassador for Nike. He also owns several health clubs. He has supported many running events, like the London 10K charity race.

Honours and Awards

Coe has received many awards and honours for his achievements.

• He was made an Honorary Doctor by Loughborough University in 1985.
• He received the Prince of Asturias Award for Sports in 1987.
• He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1982 and Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1990.
• In 2000, he was made a Life Peer as Baron Coe.
• He was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in 2006 for his services to sport.
• In 2013, he was appointed a Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH) for his work with the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
• He received an Olympic Order after his work on London 2012.
• He has won three different awards at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony: the main award in 1979, a "Special Gold Award" in 2005, and the "Lifetime Achievement Award" in 2012.
• In 2017, a building at the Nike world headquarters was named after him.
• In 2018, he was given the OLY title from the World Olympians Association.

Personal Best Running Times

(WR) means this was a World Record when he set it.

See also

In Spanish: Sebastian Coe para niños