At 68 years of age, the British Sebastian Coe is at a point of consolidated maturity after a career that has evolved from high performance in sport to leadership in sport and Olympic management at the global level. His more than 40-year career in sport gives him a unique perspective that combines the vision of an elite athlete with the experience of a senior leader in the Olympic Movement, which he demonstrated with the confidence with which he delivered his answers to the press last week at the presentation of his candidacy. Also, that same firmness, he has continued to show when this week he recalled that he has been applying for a couple of years the measure taken by Donald Trump on issues of transgender athletes.
SEBASTIAN COE’S FIRM STANCE
In his manifesto as an IOC candidate, Coe emphasizes the importance of “protecting and promoting the integrity of women’s sport.” He advocates for “clear, science-based policies that safeguard the women’s category.” In addition, he stresses the need to collaborate with world-renowned medical and educational institutions to increase research in women’s health, performance and exercise physiology. Coe stresses that women’s sport is at a “critical crossroads” and that it is essential to “take this forward with sensitivity and determination to ensure that current and future generations of women choose sport.”
This stance is not new for Coe. For nearly a decade, she has been a strong advocate for women’s rights in sport and has led the dialogue on this issue, often as a lone voice. His leadership at World Athletics has been pioneering in preserving women’s status in sport, being one of the first international sports federations to establish clear policies on female eligibility in elite sport. As he assures SportsIn: “As the global governing body of athletics, it is our responsibility to maintain fair and equitable competition in the women’s category.”
CONVERGENCE OF VIEWS BETWEEN COE AND TRUMP
Now, Trump comes to confirm this women protection policy with a law in USA which will influence the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Both Coe and Trump share the view that the participation of transgender athletes in women’s categories can compromise fairness in women’s sport. Both have made decisions to restrict such participation, arguing the need to protect the integrity of women’s competitions. World Athletics, under Coe’s leadership, issued regulations more than two years ago stating that transgender athletes can only compete in the men’s category. As Coe noted, “We’ve had these rules in place for some time.”
The alignment of these positions has generated a global debate about inclusion and equity in sport. While some applaud the measures as necessary to maintain the integrity of women’s competitions, others point to a certain void toward transgender athletes. This debate continues to be open and evolving for the best possible answer to the future of women’s sport and the inclusion of transgender athletes.
