Lord Coe vows to 'protect and preserve' women's sport in bid to head Olympic Committee

Lord Coe speaks to ITV News Sports Editor Steve Scott about his bid to be President of the International Olympic Committee

After a lifetime defined by the Olympics, Lord Coe has set his sights on the very top job.

The current leader of World Athletics has won two Olympic golds in the 1500m, and was a key figure in London's bid to host the games in 2012.

The only thing left, he told ITV News, is "the biggest job in global sport": President of the International Olympic Committee.

He said, "It's a movement that, one way or another, I've been involved in since I first put a pair of running shoes on at the age of 11."

The middle-distance runner won a total of four Olympic medals. Credit: PA Images

"I think that I've been in training for this all my life", he continued. "I'm probably better prepared for this than anything I've ever endeavoured to do in the past."

Lord Coe is running on a reform ticket, suggesting he’d push for prize money for all sports at the Olympic Games.

He told ITV News the Games need to evolve across the board: "We need to make sure that the movement remains relevant, it remains salient and critically, it reflects the world we live in."

"I think it's got to do more to do that. And it certainly needs to do more to engage young people, particularly in wanting to pick up sport and use it as a way of life."

Liu Yang, Imane Khelif, Janjaem Suqannapheng and Nien Chin Chen with their medals at the Paris Games Credit: PA Images

Another issue Lord Coe pledges to address head on, is that of gender eligibility for those taking part in the games.

The recent Paris 2024 Games were overshadowed in part by a row over participants in the women's boxing competition.

Two fighters, who'd previously been banned from the World Championships, ended the games with gold medals.

They were allowed to compete by the IOC because it accepts the gender on an athlete’s passport, something Lord Coe has vowed to change.

He said: "You have to do everything to protect and preserve the female category. If you don't, then basically you've lost women's sport."

"I don't think the framework is anywhere near clear enough."

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