Lord Coe reign has been tainted by Nike tie, claims Toni Minichiello

'This is getting really messy and my advice would be for him to just walk away from it'

IAAF president Sebastian Coe (Getty Images)

Sebastian Coe’s presidency of the International Association of Athletics Federations will forever be tainted by his failure to sever ties with Nike, according to the coach of Olympic and world heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis-Hill.

Toni Minichiello has called on Coe to stop taking his annual salary of £100,000 as a Nike ambassador in the wake of an email exchange with company officials which heightened accusations of a conflict of interest as IAAF president.

“This is getting really messy and my advice would be for him to just walk away from it,” Minichiello told The Independent. “Immaterial of what he does now I think it will always taint his presidency. There will always be that black mark.”

Coe has insisted there is no conflict between the Nike money and his unpaid role as IAAF president. But pressure is building on the former middle-distance champion after an email was uncovered by the BBC from Nike executive Craig Masback to Vin Lananna, bid leader of Eugene 2021. The US city was awarded the 2021 World Championships without a bidding process and in spite of interest also from Gothenburg in hosting it.

In the email, Masback wrote: “I spoke with Seb this morning. We covered several topics but I asked specifically about 2021. He made clear his support for 2021 in Eugene but made equally clear that he had reached out to [then IAAF president Lamine] Diack specifically on this topic.”

Coe has denied doing any lobbying on behalf of Eugene and insists he is not guilty of any wrongdoing. Despite that, Minichiello said the Nike relationship must end and also called on Coe to pay back the £63,000 he was given by UK Sport towards his presidential campaign. “He’s a millionaire so this is small potatoes,” said Minichiello. “Considering the amount of distress and anxiety it’s causing, why the hell does he not let go?

“As for the UK Sport money, that’s taxpayers’ money. That £63,000 could be used to help 1,000 British athletes even in a minor way. I would hope that he would donate £63,000 to Unicef or something because frankly that’s ridiculous.”

Coe had suggested during his presidential campaign that his Nike contract could potentially be a conflict of interest but, since being elected, has said that is not the case. Minichiello does not expect him to end the Nike deal. “First and foremost he’s a competitor,” added Minichiello. “Athletes don’t like to lose – it’s simply not in his DNA. And stepping away from that would be like him admitting defeat.”