Lord Sebastian Coe, OBE

Born: 1956

President of the IAAF

Seb was English Schools Champion in 1972 and made his Great Britain International debut in 1976.

He competed in the European Championships in 1978 in Prague where he won Bronze in the 800m. In 1982 in Athens he won Silver in the 800m and in 1986 in Stuttgart he won Gold in the 800m. In 1979 he was the European Indoor 800m Champion and he finished 1st in the European Cup in 1979 and 1981.

Seb competed in the Athletics World Cup in 1981 and 1989 and finished 1st and 2nd respectively. At the Olympic Games in Moscow in 1980 he won Gold in the 1500m and Silver in the 800m a feat which he repeated in Los Angeles in 1984.

He retired from competitive athletics in 1990 and was a Member of Parliament for Falmouth & Camborne from 1992 to 1997. He has also chaired the Sports Council’s Olympic Review. He has written five books, which include Born to Run (co-written by David Miller), Comeback (co-written by David Miller), Running for Fitness (co-written by Peter Coe), The Olympians and More Than a Game, and he is an experienced broadcaster and public speaker. Other recreational pastimes include listening to jazz and visiting the theatre.

Seb’s awards and qualifications are listed below:

  • 1979 BSc Economics, Loughborough University
  • 1979 BBC Sports Personality of the Year
  • 1979, 80, 81 & 84 Sports Writer’s Sportsman of the Year
  • 1981-92 Chairman, Athletes Commission, International Olympic Committee
  • 1982 Kipphurth Fellowship, Yale University
  • 1983-90 Appointed to Sports Council
  • 1986-89 Vice Chairman to Sports Council
  • 1987-93 Medical Commission, International Olympic Committee
  • 1991 Awarded OBE
  • 1994-to date Regular Contributor, BBC Radio 5 Sport
  • 1994-96 Parliamentary Private Secretary to Roger Freeman, MP, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
  • 1995 Parliamentary Private Secretary to Nicholas Soames, MP, Minister for the Armed Forces
  • 1996 Parliamentary Private Secretary to Michael Heseltine, MP, Deputy Prime Minister
  • 1997 Appointed Government Whip
  • 1997-to date Sport for All Commission, International Olympic Committee
  • 1997-2001 Appointed Private Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition (Rt Hon William Hague, MP)
  • 1998 British Sports Writer’s Award for ‘Most Outstanding Contribution to Sport in the last 50 years’
  • 1999 2000 Commission International Olympic Committee
  • 1999 Appointed Chairman of Fast Track Ltd
  • 1999 Appointed President of the Amateur Athletic Association
  • 2000 Elevated to The House of Lords, The Lord Coe, OBE