Coe proposes Olympic shake-up if elected

The two-time Olympic 1500m champion from Britain unveiled his manifesto alongside those of the other six candidates vying to succeed Thomas Bach next year. Coe pledged to reform the IOC, stating that "too much power is concentrated in the hands of too few people."

Speaking at the Olympic Park in Stratford, Lord Coe, who chaired the London 2012 organising committee, stated, "Many of the things I’ve done at World Athletics have sparked a debate. That’s not something I shy away from. In a world that changes every five minutes, we have to be very open to analysis that doesn’t always fit comfortably with how we see the world. And we should embrace that."

One of Coe’s bold ideas involves potentially moving some indoor sports from the Summer Olympics to the Winter Games if he becomes IOC president. Saudi Arabia is considering a bid to host the 2036 Olympics, having just been awarded the World Cup in 2034.

"Innovation is critical, we have to be open to new ideas," he stressed. "Climate change is going to fundamentally make us have to think about the global calendar, where we take our events and the times of the year that we take our events. And some people have even suggested that we might want to look at the balance between the winter and summer Games.

"You have venues where some sports are indoors. In theory, you could move them to another time of the year, perhaps to the Winter Games. These are the kinds of discussions I would encourage, because only through debate can we eliminate ideas that may not work."

Coe’s proposals also emphasised his commitment to enhancing youth sport, implementing 'clear, science-based policies' to protect the female category amidst ongoing discussions about gender eligibility rules, and ensuring athletes' voices are heard.

He further added, "To sustain the Games, we must grow, not just financially, but also in reach and relevance. Commercial partners and broadcasters want modernisation."