Sebastian Coe pledges ‘clearcut policy’ on women’s sport in IOC pitch

Coe vows to ‘ensure clarity and consistency’ for inclusion of female athletes

‘We have a responsibility to do the right thing’ says Coe on behalf of IOC

Sebastian Coe has pledged to implement a “crystal-clear” policy on women’s sport if he is elected as the next president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), vowing to “ensure clarity and consistency” for the inclusion of female athletes across all sports.

Coe, who is running for the IOC presidency against five other candidates, including pole vault great Sergey Bubka, said that he believes that women’s sport is “at a tipping point” and that the IOC has a “responsibility to do the right thing” to ensure that female athletes are given the same opportunities as their male counterparts.

“We need to have a clearcut policy on women’s sport that sets out the IOC’s commitment to gender equality and inclusion,” Coe said in a statement.

“This policy should cover all aspects of women’s sport, from participation and representation to funding and governance.”

“We need to ensure that there is clarity and consistency in the way that we approach women’s sport across the Olympic Movement,” he added.

“This means working with our partners in the sporting world to develop and implement policies that promote gender equality in all areas.”

Coe’s pledge comes at a time when there is growing pressure on the IOC to do more to promote gender equality in sport.

In recent years, there have been several high-profile cases of female athletes being discriminated against, including the exclusion of women from competing in certain sports and the unequal pay of female athletes compared to their male counterparts.

Coe said that he believes that the IOC has a responsibility to lead the way in promoting gender equality in sport.

“We have a responsibility to ensure that all athletes, regardless of their gender, have the opportunity to participate in sport at the highest level,” he said.

“We have a responsibility to ensure that women’s sport is given the same level of funding and support as men’s sport.”

“And we have a responsibility to ensure that women are represented at all levels of decision-making in sport.”

Coe’s pledge has been welcomed by many leading figures in the world of women’s sport.

“This is a significant pledge from Sebastian Coe, and I am confident that he will deliver on his promise to make women’s sport a priority for the IOC,” said Lydia Nsekera, the chair of the IOC’s Women in Sport Commission.

“Women’s sport is at a tipping point, and I believe that Sebastian Coe is the right person to lead the IOC in this new era.”