COE HAS VISION OF CHANGE FOR IOC

Briton, 68, says clear stance on gender to protect women's sport is 'non-negotiable'

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Sebastian Coe soft-launched his bid to become the next president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Nov 13, saying that it was a role he feels he has been building towards his whole life and that the organisation is ready for change.

The World Athletics (WA) president, one of seven people bidding to replace Thomas Bach in what would be the culmination of an extraordinarily successful sporting career, said the IOC needed clear-cut policies to protect women's sport to avoid scandals, such as the one in boxing at the 2024 Paris Games.

Coe won back-to-back Olympic 1,500m gold medals and, after a diversion as a Member of Parliament, delivered the hugely successful 2012 London Olympics.

He became WA president in 2015, initiating widespread reforms, and has had a long career in sports marketing.

"I have been in training for this for most of my life," the 68-year-old Briton told reporters in London, ahead of the release of his manifesto in December. "I have a plan and a vision and I think I can make a difference."