Track and field legend Sebastian Coe has hailed the emergence of an “extraordinary” group of athletes at the Paris Olympics, who have filled the void left by Jamaican sprint icon Usain Bolt.
Bolt, an eight-time Olympic and nine-time world gold medalist, was a transformative figure in athletics, dominating the sprints during his illustrious career. Since his retirement in 2017, there has been speculation about who would step into his shoes as the sport’s leading star.
However, Coe believes that the narrative has shifted away from relying on a single athlete to carry the sport. “We are no longer a sport about one person,” he said. “That one person was Herculean, that one person transformed the popularity of our sport for a very clear period of time, and he consistently did that.”
Coe compared Bolt’s legacy to that of boxing legend Muhammad Ali. “You don’t replace Muhammad Ali, you don’t replace Usain Bolt,” he said. “But I did say, ‘Mark my words, other athletes will come through.'”
The Paris Olympics showcased a remarkable depth of talent across various disciplines. Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis, American 400m hurdler Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, and the US mixed 4x400m relay team all set world records. There were also 13 new Olympic records established.
Coe highlighted the global reach of track and field, with athletes from 75 countries achieving top-eight finishes. He noted that 105 countries have now won Olympic medals in the sport’s history.
“Tell me any other sport on the opening day of a competition is celebrating a medal for Ecuador,” Coe said. “So that for me tells me the sport is moving in the right direction.”
Coe emphasized the importance of continuing to promote the sport and building on the momentum generated by the Paris Olympics. “We had our 105th country in the history of the Olympic Movement winning a medal in Paris and that has been sensational,” he said. “It is really important we do not take our foot off the accelerator.”
