Sebastian Coe

British athlete and politician

Sebastian Newbold Coe, Baron Coe CH KBE (born 29 September 1956, and often nicknamed Seb Coe)[1] is a former athlete and politician from the United Kingdom. A middle distance runner, Coe won the 1500 m gold medal at the Olympic Games in 1980 and 1984, and set eight outdoor and three indoor world records. He is widely considered to be amongst the greatest middle distance runners of all time. Following his retirement from athletics, he served as a Member of Parliament for the Conservative Party from 1992-97. He became a life peer in 2000. He is the head of the London bid to host the 2012 Summer Olympics. After the International Olympic Committee awarded the games to London, he became the chairman of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games. In 2007, he was also elected a vice-president of the International Association of Athletics Federations.


The Lord Coe

Personal details
Born (1956-09-29) 29 September 1956 (age 68)
Hammersmith, London, England
NationalityBritish
Political partyConservative
Children2 sons, 2 daughters
Alma materLoughborough University
OccupationPeer and retired athlete
Sebastian Coe
Medal record
Men's Athletics
Representing  United Kingdom
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1980 Moscow 1500 m
Gold medal – first place 1984 Los Angeles 1500 m
Silver medal – second place 1980 Moscow 800 m
Silver medal – second place 1984 Los Angeles 800 m
European Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1978 Prague 800 m
Silver medal – second place 1982 Athens 800 m
Gold medal – first place 1986 Stuttgart 800 m
Silver medal – second place 1986 Stuttgart 1500 m

Personal life

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Coe was born in Hammersmith, London. He grew up in Warwickshire and Sheffield. His mother, Tina Angela Coe, died in Hammersmith and Fulham, London, in 2005, aged 75. His mother was half Indian, born to a Punjabi father Sardari Lal and an English mother Vera.[2] His father, Peter Coe (born Percy N. Coe in Kingston upon Thames), died on 9 August 2008, aged 88, while Coe was in Beijing.

Coe married Nicky McIrvine, a former Badminton three-day-event champion, in Surrey, in 1990. They have two sons and two daughters, all of whom were born in Surrey:

  • The Hon. Madeline Rose Coe (8 July 1992–)
  • The Hon. Harry Sebastian Newbold Coe (29 September 1994–)
  • The Hon. Peter Henry Christopher Coe (31 May 1996–)
  • The Hon. Alice India Violet Coe (25 September 1998–)

The marriage ended in divorce in 2002 after twelve years and Coe moved out of the family home. Coe married Carole Annett in summer 2011.

On 12 February 2010, Coe was the 19th runner on the 106th day of the Vancouver Olympic Torch Relay. Coe's leg was along the Stanley Park Seawall, and he exchanged a "torch kiss" with the previous runner, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the next runner, a 19 year old member of the Squamish community.[3][4]

Awards

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He was awarded with the first Prince of Asturias Award in sports category in 1987.

Coe was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1982 and an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1990. He was created a life peer in 2000 as Baron Coe, of Ranmore in the County of Surrey.

In December 2005, Coe was given a Special award at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards ceremony. He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2006 New Year's Honours List for services to sport.[5]

Personal bests

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Distance Mark Date
400 m 46.87 1979 & 45.5 relay leg (1979)
800 m 1:41.73 1981
1000 m 2:12.18 1981
1500 m 3:29.77 1986
Mile 3:47.33 1981
2000 m 4:58.84 1982
3000 m 7:54.32 1979
5000 m 14:06.2 1980

Styles and honours

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  • Mr Sebastian Coe (1956–1982)
  • Mr Sebastian Coe MBE (1982–1990)
  • Mr Sebastian Coe OBE (1990–1992)
  • Mr Sebastian Coe OBE MP (1992–1997)
  • Mr Sebastian Coe OBE (1997–2000)
  • The Rt. Hon. The Lord Coe OBE (2000–2006)
  • The Rt. Hon. The Lord Coe KBE (2006–)
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References

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  1. "The Times & The Sunday Times". www.thetimes.co.uk.
  2. "Lord Coe and his grandfather, the Punjabi Playboy: The racy ancestry of one of Britain's greatest runners". Mail Online.
  3. "How Vancouver almost lost the 2010 Olympics". Toronto Star. 2010-02-12. Archived from the original on 2010-02-15. Retrieved 2010-02-12.
  4. "How Vancouver almost lost the 2010 Olympics - Vancouver 2010 Olympics - thestar.com". The Star. Toronto. Archived from the original on 15 February 2010. Retrieved 23 May 2010.
  5. Orlovac, Mark (31 December 2005). "Profile: Lord Coe". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 May 2010.

Other websites

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Parliament of the United Kingdom (1801–present)
Preceded by
David Mudd
Member of Parliament for Falmouth and Camborne
19921997
Succeeded by
Candy Atherton
Records
Preceded by
  Alberto Juantorena
Men's 800 metres World Record Holder
1979-07-05 – 1997-07-07
Succeeded by
  Wilson Kipketer
Preceded by
  Filbert Bayi
Men's 1500 m World Record Holder
15 August 1979 – 27 August 1980
Succeeded by
  Steve Ovett
Preceded by
  John Walker
Men's Mile World Record Holder
17 July 1979 – 1 July 1980
Succeeded by
  Steve Ovett
Preceded by
  Steve Ovett
Men's Mile World Record Holder
19 August 1981 – 26 August 1981
Succeeded by
  Steve Ovett
Preceded by
  Steve Ovett
Men's Mile World Record Holder
28 August 1981 – 27 July 1985
Succeeded by
  Steve Cram
Preceded by
  Marcello Fiasconaro
European Record Holder Men's 800 m
5 July 1979 - 6 July 1997
Succeeded by
  Wilson Kipketer
Preceded by
  Jean Wadoux
European Record Holder Men's 1500 m
17 July 1979 - 26 August 1980
Succeeded by
  Steve Ovett
Awards and achievements
Preceded by
  Steve Ovett
BBC Sports Personality of the Year
1979
Succeeded by
  Robin Cousins
Preceded by
  Henry Rono
United Press International
Athlete of the Year

1979
Succeeded by
  Eric Heiden
Preceded by
  Henry Rono
Men's Track & Field Athlete of the Year
1979
Succeeded by
  Edwin Moses
Preceded by
  Eric Heiden
United Press International
Athlete of the Year

1981
Succeeded by
  Daley Thompson
Preceded by
  Edwin Moses
Men's Track & Field Athlete of the Year
1981
Succeeded by
  Carl Lewis
Preceded by
  Liu Qi
President of Organizing Committee for Summer Olympic Games
Games of the XXX Olympiad
Succeeded by
  Carlos Arthur Nuzman