Global athletics has the “responsibility” to combat gender -based violence – Lord Coe

The president of world athletics, Lord Coe, said that his organization has committed to fighting violence based on sex after a year marked by the tragic death of the Olympic marathon REBECCA CHEPTEGEI.

The former partner of Ceptegei was accused of having set fire to the Ugandan athlete during a fuel attack in Kenya and the 33 -year -old woman, who had just returned from the 2024 Paris Games, is died later from his big injuries.

The World Athletics Council – working alongside the athlete committee and the working group on gender leadership – earlier this month, is committed to acting, identifying the campaign against sexist violence in priority.

While Lord Coe freely admits that there are limits to a sports federation is the best placed or capable of doing, he insisted: “I simply do not go away from the responsibility we have.

“It is not unique to Africa. Unfortunately, the high level case that attracted everyone’s attention to this continent, so what I really try to understand is the nature and the scale of the challenge and the way we can Bring resources to the table.

“I want to bring good people to the table and if global athletics can help do it, it’s great.”

In 2022, the Damaris Muthee Mutua runner became the second female athlete in the space of a year to be killed in the Kenyan training town of Itena after the Olympian and the world bronze medalist of 10,000 meters Langueop Tiop were found stabbed to death.

During the same week, the death of Ceptegei was announced, the American gymnast Kara Welsh was found fatally shot in the Wisconsin, his boyfriend the accused.

Like Lord Coe, the World Commission for Athletes of Athletics said that it “recognizes that sport may not have the power to implement policy due to the lack of competence outside the sports landscape” but Think that “can use the space in which he has the jurisdiction to conduct change in three main areas: awareness, education and lobbying for change.”

Lord Coe said that gender -based violence had “disfigured elements of sport in the past year”, adding: “Although they are horrible problems that are not directly linked to the field of game, we have the responsibility to see what we can do. “”

The former conservative deputy is impatient to collaborate with the external stakeholders and plans a trip to Kenya to participate in “some fairly high discussions” next year, while a “large sportswear manufacturer” “identified resources”.

Internally, the double Olympic champion and his team will examine the safeguarding executives of world athletics to see if there is a possibility of “extending this significantly and practically in this other area.

He added: “Obviously, this is not a problem with which we are dealing with competition or on the playground. It is a pathology that goes beyond that. »»

The former president of the British Olympic Association, Lord Coe, is one of the seven candidates currently in the running to succeed Thomas Bach as president of the International Olympic Committee, a decision that will be made during the 144th CIO session In March.

He was elected president of world athletics for the first time – then IAAF – in 2015, and last year was elected for a third term to end in 2027.

This year, Lord Coe has become controversial the first international president of the sports power organization to introduce prices for Olympic champions (US $ 50,000 / £ 39,332), with the intention of also rewarding the silver medalists and in bronze at the Los Angeles 2028 Games.

While several new independent athletics companies have recently been launched – notably the Grand Chelem piece of Michael Johnson, making his debut next year – Lord Coe has extinguished the affirmations that they could be considered as “disturbances”.

He added: “We must comfort ourselves in the fact that five, 10 years ago, no one would have wanted to make external investments in our sport.

“I am actually happy that people see this sport as something in which investing. I have always encouraged people to do their own thing and to be innovative. It is a tide that can increase and benefit everyone.

“I see no reason to sit there thinking that it is something other than to involve more athletes.

“If the price is there, it will do what I have always wanted, which had to give them more well-being. The athletes themselves will make judgments. »»