But in addition to his phenomenal talents as a record breaker, Coe was also a superlative performer in major championship events. Within the next month he had twice improved the record and later in the year headed the British outdoor record, clocking 1:44.95 at Crystal Palace in September. Coe missed selection for his third Olympic Games after an inexplicably poor run in the trials and finished a disappointment sixth in the last major race, the 1,500 metres at the 1990 Commonwealth Games. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Usain Bolt is the only man ever to win the 100 meters, 200 meters, and 4 x 100-meter relay in a single Olympics. Instead, Ovett won the 800 metres, with Coe taking a silver medal; in the 1,500 metres, Coe accelerated at the final curve and won the gold medal.

Just as he did in Moscow, Coe sprinted into the lead in the final turn, pulled away and won by six metres. However, he ran what he called "the worst race of my life" and finished second behind Ovett. But these were no more than minor blemishes on a superb career. Coe studied economics and social history at Loughborough University and won his first major race in 1977, an 800-metre event at the European indoor championships in San Sebastián, Spain. 2020 - All rights reserved, Athletics South Africa to appeal Caster Semenya CAS decision, Caster Semenya loses testosterone case against the IAAF in CAS ruling, Coe: the biggest challenge in our sport is remaining relevant, Here's to the local heroes: Burk Gravis and his big family of sport. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Sebastian Coe Sebastian Coe was a world class middle distance runner, one of the finest track athletes Britain has produced. Javascript must be enabled for the correct page display. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. After winning the British 1,500 metres title at both Youth and Junior level, his first major international championship success came when he won the 1977 European indoor 800 metres title at Dortmund with a new British indoor record of 1:47.6 seconds. Coe is one of the finest middle distance runners the world has ever seen; the only man to have won 1500m Olympic gold twice. At the 1984 Los Angeles Games, Coe won another silver medal in the 800m.

Coe was a championship performer, winning two Olympic gold medals, and also possessed the raw speed to be world record holder across a number of distances. He is the only man in modern times to have won the Olympic 1,500 metres title twice and his victory in 1980 when he came back from losing the 800 metres, for which he was an overwhelming favorite, was testament to his moral fortitude. Sebastian Coe, in full Sebastian Newbold Coe, Baron Coe of Ranmore, (born September 29, 1956, London, England), British athlete, who won four Olympic medals and set eight world records in middle-distance running. In 1978, Coe brought the British 800 metres record down to 1:44.25 seconds in August before making a further improvement the following month with a run of 1:43.97. In all, Seb Coe set nine world records outdoors and three indoors, and this alone would have been more than enough to ensure his place as one of the legends in the sport.

At the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, the graceful Coe was favoured in the 800-metre race, and the powerful Ovett was favoured in the 1,500-metre race, an event in which he and Coe shared the world record. Within the space of 42 days in July and August 1979, he posted new world records for the 800 metres, 1,500 metres and 1 mile. … Coe was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1991, was promoted to Knight Commander (KBE) in 2006, and was invested as a Companion of Honour in 2013. Corrections? The next year in Oslo, Norway, Coe set his first world records, in 800-metre and one-mile races. Although this fine performance ranked no higher than eighth on the world all-time list, the breaking of the 1:44 barrier placed Coe early among the world's elite and he was to confirm his place in spectacular fashion the following year. He has married twice, firstly to three day event rider Nicola McIrvine and then in 2011 to Carol, daughter of former England cricket captain Mike Smith. He was awarded the MBE in 1982, the OBE in 1990 and then in 2000 he was elevated to the peerage with the title Baron Coe of Ranmore. His only world record in 1982 came when he contributed a 1:44.01 second leg on Britain's 4×800 metre relay team; the following year he posted world indoor records at 800 metres and 1,000 metres. He beat Ovett’s mile record, running it in 3 min 48.53 sec on August 19; only a week later Ovett set another mile record, which was then shattered by Coe with a 3 min 47.33 sec run on August 28. Sebastian COE. Seb Coe reached his peak at the same time as two other world class British middle-distance runners: Steve Cram and Steve Ovett. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica.

In 2003 he became a council member of the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF), and he was appointed vice president of the IAAF in 2007. He won the 800-metre European championship in 1986, but illness hampered the late years of his career, and he was not chosen to participate in the 1988 Olympic Games. Coe was elected to replace Lamine Diack as head of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) in 2015.

He first ran against Ovett in Prague in 1978 in an 800-metre race that neither won. His great rivalry with fellow Briton Steve Ovett dominated middle-distance racing for much of the 1980s. The new Olympic Channel brings you news, highlights, exclusive behind the scenes, live events and original programming, 24 hours a day, 365 days per year. He served as a Conservative member of the House of Commons from 1992 to 1997 and was elevated to the House of Lords as a life peer in 2000. In 2015 he was elected president of the IAAF. He also won over 800 metres at the European and World Cup in 1981 and the European Championships in 1986. Illness limited Coe’s racing in the next two years, but he rebounded strongly to win another gold medal in the 1,500 metres and another silver medal in the 800 metres at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. After his career on the sporting stage, Coe became involved in politics. He played a vital role in bringing the Games to London, and chaired the Organising Committee for the 2012 London Games. After retiring from top-class competition, Seb Coe entered politics and served as the Member of Parliament for Falmouth and Camborne, as a member of the Conservative party between 1992 and 1997.

…day in the 1924 Olympics, Sebastian Coe (U.K.), who won two Olympic gold medals at 1,500 metres and two silver at 800 metres, Noureddine Morceli (Algeria), who won two world championships and an Olympic gold medal in the 1,500 metres, and Hicham El Guerrouj (Morocco), who set outdoor and indoor… Personal Bests: 400 – 46.87 (1979); 800 – 1:41.73 (1981); 1000 – 2:12.18 (1981); 1500 – 3:29.77 (1986); Mile – 3:47.33 (1981); 2000 – 4:58.84 (1982); 3000 – 7:54.32 (1979); 5000 – 14:06.2 (1980). In 1980 he took over as the world record holder at 1,000 metres and in 1981 he improved his own world records at 800 metres and 1,000 metres before twice improving his own record for the mile.

Coe arrived at the 1980 Moscow Games as the world record holder and favourite at 800m. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sebastian-Coe, British Broadcasting Corporation - Biography of Sebastian Coe, International Association of Athletic Federations. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Updates? Seb Coe reached his peak at the same time as two other world class British middle-distance runners: Steve Cram and Steve Ovett. In addition to all his Olympic gold medals at 1,500 metres in 1980 and 1984, he finished second in the 800 metres at both of these Games. Although the brilliant career of Seb Coe included a number of disappointments, the highlights were such that he must be considered as one of the greatest middle-distance runners of all time. The athlete denied a World Championship gold medal by a woman with four “whereabouts” failures is demanding answers from the World Athletics president Sebastian Coe. TM © Olympic Channel Services S.L. After London was awarded the Games in 2005, he became the chair of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games. In 2004 Coe was named head of London’s bid for the 2012 Olympics. In 2004 Coe took over as Chairman of the London bid for the 2012 Olympics and was widely credited for the success of the bid. Coe is one of the finest middle distance runners the world has ever seen; the only man to have won 1500m Olympic gold twice.