Lord Coe vows to ‘shield ladies’s sports activities’ if elected IOC president after boxers Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting received gold medals on the Paris Olympics regardless of failing gender eligibility assessments final 12 months

Lord Coe has pledged to ‘protect women’s sport’ by banning biological males from female events if he is elected president of the International Olympic Committee.

The current World Athletics president is one of seven candidates bidding to succeed Thomas Bach in one of sport’s most powerful positions next year.

Coe admitted he was ‘uncomfortable’ about what happened at the Paris Olympics in the summer, when Algerian Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan won golds in women’s boxing despite being disqualified from last year’s World Championships for failing gender eligibility tests.

The IOC, who defended the participation of Khelif and Lin in Paris, have no clearcut policy on the inclusion of transgender athletes and those with differences in sex development (DSD), effectively leaving it up to individual sports to make their own rules.

Coe has already taken a hardline stance at World Athletics, banning transgender women from the female category at international events and toughening up the policy on DSD athletes.

Algeria’s Imane Khelif won Olympic gold in the summer after being disqualified from last year’s World Championships for failing a gender eligibility test

Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting also failed a gender eligibility test in 2023, but was allowed to compete in Paris and won gold

Lord Coe has vowed to ‘protect women’s rights’ if elected IOC president next year

Swimming and cycling are among the other Olympic sports to have also already banned biological males from elite female competition.

But Coe has labelled the IOC’s current position ‘ambiguous’ and vowed to introduce a blanket policy if he lands the top Olympics job at the election in March.

The 68-year-old, who won Olympic gold for Great Britain in the 1500 metres in 1980 and 1984, said: ‘It has to be a clearcut policy. It is incumbent on the IOC to create that landscape.

‘It’s a very clear proposition to me – if you do not protect the female category, or you are in any way ambivalent about it for whatever reason, then it will not end well for women’s sport.

‘I come from a sport where that is absolutely sacrosanct. It has to be – and I believe that’s the case for every sport.

‘I would want to make sure the policy was clearcut and supported the overwhelming position that international federations want to take on this.’

Speaking in his first major interview since announcing his IOC presidency campaign, Coe also suggested Olympic medallists in all sports should receive prize money.

Coe’s World Athletics broke Olympic tradition earlier this year by offering £39,300 to every track and field champion in Paris. His governing body have already said they will pay prize money to silver and bronze medallists at the next Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.

No other sports followed athletics’ lead by offering financial incentives in Paris. But asked if prize money would be extended to all medallists if he was in charge of the IOC, Coe said: ‘Yes, but in conjunction with the sports.

‘I’ve always talked about the wellbeing of the athletes and giving them financial skin in the game. I think that can be done in a way that is respectful of the Olympic philosophy. We’re in a different landscape now.’

If Coe was to win the IOC election, he would have to work closely with American president-elect Donald Trump given the next Games are in LA.

Coe has not yet met or spoken to Trump, but said: ‘I cannot believe that Donald Trump, unlike every other American president who has been in a position to be hosting a Games, wouldn’t want a hugely successful Games, and one that I hope embraced the world and reflected the country he lived in.’

Lord Coe is yet to meet president-elect Donald Trump, who he would have to work closely with elected IOC president ahead of the 2028 LA Games

Coe is uniquely qualified for the IOC job given he has been an athlete, led the organisation of London 2012, chaired the British Olympic Association and is now running the No1 Olympic sport.

His biggest rival in the election is Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr of Spain, while Zimbabwean Kirsty Coventry also stands an outside chance.

‘I have been in training for this for most of my life,’ added Coe. ‘I think I can make a difference, and I do have a plan and a vision for what that difference looks like. I think change is necessary.

‘I don’t know if it’s my toughest race, but it’s the one I’m probably best prepared for.’

‘I’m not under confident. I’m not overconfident. There will be twists and turns and it could go down the wire. I’m not unused to that.’