Sebastian Coe has a simple approach to avoiding political interference in global sport. The World Athletics president was responding to a question while speaking to journalists about avoiding political turmoil at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Other topics included track and field’s ban on Russian athletes, private equity in sports and FIFA’s credibility crisis following a controversial overturned red card at the World Cup.
FIFA was criticised after United States President Donald Trump made a phone call to FIFA President Gianni Infantino urging that US forward Folarin Balogun’s red-card suspension be overturned. World football’s governing body lifted the suspension. Trump will be nearing the end of his second term when the LA Games take place.
The 69-year-old Coe, a two-time Olympic gold medallist, led the 2012 London Olympics’ bidding and organising committees. I know it’s really important that you have really good working relationships with government, prime ministers,” said Coe, a former elected member of the British parliament. But not having those relationships is dangerous.
Of course, there’s a balance.” Infantino’s failed plan to sell World Cup profits to private equity investors has landed the FIFA president in a battle to retain his post. Coe said the idea was “not as unfamiliar territory as people tend to think”. The ambitions of each member federation, he added, are tied to its ability to raise revenues.
There are individual athletics federations at this very moment I know are discussing partnerships with external sources of revenue including private equity,” Coe said. That is critical.” Coe noted that World Athletics has broadcast and sponsorship deals expiring in 2029, so seeking external sources of revenue is “an absolutely critical conversation to have. That debate has been taking place for two or three years, particularly at executive board level.” Coe plans to be on hand at the Court of Arbitration for Sport to defend World Athletics’ ban on Russian athletes.
In July, the International Olympic Committee lifted a suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee and advised Olympic sport bodies they no longer need to vet Russian athletes for permission to compete as neutrals. But World Athletics said it will maintain the ban it imposed shortly after Russian forces invaded Ukraine more than four years ago. Russian Athletics has asked Switzerland-based CAS to overturn the sanctions.
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