Lord Coe to form part School of Sports launch at University of Gibraltar

Lord Sebastian Coe, President of the IAAF will be visiting Gibraltar next week as part of the launch of the School of Sports at the University of Gibraltar.

The launch will take place this coming Monday 22 January 2018 at the University of Gibraltar in what is expected will be a significant moment for both the University and Sports in general on the Rock.

Sebastian Coe, known for his athletics feats as one of the great British athletes of the 80's and subsequently as a politician has been a keen supporter of Gibraltar's athletes in the past at international level.

Coe won four Olympic medals, including the 1500 metres gold medal at the Olympic Games in 1980 and 1984. He set eleven records both outdoor and indoor in middle-distance track events – including, in 1979, setting three world records in the space of 41 days . His world record in the 800 metres in 1981 remained unbroken until 1997.

Appointed Pro-Chancellor at Loughborough University in November 2012 he was appointed chairman of the British Olympic Association. In 2007 Coe was appointed as vice President of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and was reappointed in 2011. He was elected president of IAAF and has since also been appointed a member of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Coordination Commission representing the Association of National Olympic Committees.

The visit comes after many years in trying with Frank Carreras President of the Gibraltar Athletics Association last year having stated that he wished to bring the IAAF President to Gibraltar.

Following the visit by the European Athletics President Mr Carreras at the time stated, “Next time we want to bring in (IAAF President) Sebastian Coe, another very good friend of mine, for him to visit and see how we are developing.”

Pic by David Parody