Climate Change Makes the Future of Athletics Uncertain: Sebastian Coe

Sebastian Coe, President of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), believes that the future of athletics is uncertain due to climate change.

In a press release issued by the IAAF, Coe said on the eve of the World Championship, "In a survey conducted by World Athletics, nearly 80% of athletes expressed serious concern about climate crisis, and almost 75% said that their competition or training has already been affected."

During the summers, when wildfires were raging in forests, and record-high temperatures were consistently observed in South Europe and Asia, the World Athletics President stated that sports organizations cannot rely on governments to tackle the climate crisis.

Coe mentioned that it's essential for sports organizations, like athletics, to take this matter into their own hands because he doesn't believe that we can rely on governments to understand significant changes happening in the next few years.

In recent years, several high-profile events have been affected by extreme heat. To avoid the conditions faced during the 2019 World Championships in Doha, where the marathon and race-walking events were shifted to Sapporo, 500 miles north, many athletes had to withdraw from long-distance races due to the heat. Rising temperatures also forced a rescheduling of the 10,000 meters event at the Olympic trials in Eugene, Oregon in 2021.

Coe suggested that in such times of the year when temperatures are more favorable, especially for long-distance races, determining the timing of competitions is a consideration. Hosting the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo in mid-September implies that high temperatures are not as significant a risk.

Coe said, "We have challenges wherever we look. The welfare of athletes should always be our top priority. It's a challenge that goes beyond our intellect to figure out. But it's a challenge that's not going away."

Coe, who was elected President for a third term on Thursday, stated that a lot needs to be accomplished in the next four years, with the expansion and modernization of the track schedule being the primary focus, particularly to bring the sport back into the mainstream.

Coe said, "When we talk about making our sport relevant in young people's lives, what we mean is making it relevant to their lifestyle. There are many things we need to pay attention to, and my focus is entirely on that."

It should be noted that the World Athletics Championships are being held in Budapest, Hungary, from August 19 to 27, with nearly 2,000 athletes competing."