Sebastian Coe British politician and former runner Date of Birth: 29.09.1956 Country: Great Britain

Biography of Sebastian Coe

Sir Sebastian Newbold Coe, Baron Coe, was born on September 29, 1956, in Chiswick, London. He grew up in Sheffield and became a member of the 'Hallamshire Harriers' athletic club at the age of 12. Coe's father, Peter Coe, trained him to become a professional middle-distance runner.

Coe represented Loughborough University, where he studied economics and social history, and celebrated his first major victory in 1977 at the European Championships in San Sebastián, Spain. He then met coach George Gandy, who significantly improved Coe's training methods.

In 1979, Coe set three world records within 41 days. The following year, he broke Rick Wohlhuter's 1,000m record and in 1981, he became the record holder for the 800m with a time of 1:41.73. His record stood until August 1997.

Despite suffering from injuries in 1982, Coe finished second in the 800m at the European Championships in Athens. Shortly after, he was diagnosed with iron fever and had to withdraw from the 1,500m race. Coe continued to struggle with chest infections but had a successful season in 1989, winning the British titles for both the 800m and 1,500m, and finishing second in the 1,500m at the World Championships.

In 1992, Coe entered politics, serving as a Member of Parliament for the Conservative Party from 1992 to 1997. He was then appointed a life peer on May 16, 2000. Coe also held various positions in athletics administration, including Vice President of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) in 2007.

In 2012, Coe became the Chancellor of Loughborough University, where he had been a student, and a member of its administrative board. He was married to Nicky McIrvine, a former badminton champion, and they have two sons and two daughters. They divorced in 2002, and Coe remarried Carole Annett in 2011.

Coe received honorary doctorates from Loughborough University in 1985, University of East London in 2009, and University of Sunderland in 2011. He was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1982 and an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1990. Coe was awarded the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005 and the Olympic Order for his contributions to the Olympic movement.

In 2012, Coe was among the first 24 athletes to be inducted into the IAAF Hall of Fame.