World Athletics president Lord Coe says his organisation is dedicated to combatting gender-based violence following a yr marked by the tragic loss of life of Olympic marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei.

Cheptegei’s former companion was accused of setting the Ugandan athlete on fireplace in a petroleum assault in Kenya and the 33-year-old, who had simply returned from the Paris 2024 Video games, later died of her intensive accidents.

The World Athletics council – working alongside the Athletes’ Fee and Gender Management Taskforce – earlier this month dedicated to taking motion, figuring out campaigning towards gender-based violence as a precedence.

Whereas Lord Coe freely admits there are limitations to what a sporting federation is best-placed or capable of do, he insisted: “I’m simply not strolling away from the accountability that we have now.

“This isn’t distinctive to Africa. Sadly, the high-profile case that grabbed all people’s consideration was on that continent, so what I’m actually making an attempt to know is the character and scale of the problem and the way we are able to sensibly deliver assets to the desk.

“I need to deliver the suitable individuals to the desk and if World Athletics can assist try this, that’s nice.”

In 2022, runner Damaris Muthee Mutua turned the second feminine athlete within the area of a yr to be killed within the Kenyan coaching city of Iten after Olympian and world 10,000 metres bronze medallist Agnes Tirop was discovered stabbed to loss of life.

In the identical week Cheptegei’s loss of life was introduced, American gymnast Kara Welsh was discovered fatally shot in Wisconsin, her boyfriend the accused.

Like Lord Coe, the World Athletics Athletes’ Fee mentioned it “recognises that the game might not have the ability to implement coverage because of lack of jurisdiction exterior of the sporting panorama” however feels it “can use the area during which it does have jurisdiction to drive change by means of three most important areas: elevating consciousness, training, and lobbying for change.”

Lord Coe mentioned gender-based violence had “disfigured parts of the game within the final yr”, including: “Though these are horrendous points that aren’t straight associated to the sector of play, we have now a accountability to see what we are able to do.”

The previous Conservative MP is raring to collaborate with exterior stakeholders and is planning a visit to Kenya to partake in “some fairly high-level discussions” subsequent yr, whereas a “massive sportswear producer” has “recognized some useful resource”.

Internally, the two-time Olympic champion and his crew will likely be taking a look at World Athletics safeguarding frameworks to see if there’s a chance of “extending that meaningfully and virtually into this different space.

He added: “Clearly it’s not a problem we’re coping with in competitors or on the sector of play. It’s a pathology that goes past that.”

Former British Olympic Affiliation chair Lord Coe is one among seven candidates at the moment within the working to succeed Thomas Bach as Worldwide Olympic Committee president, a choice that will likely be made on the 144th IOC Session in March.

He was first elected president of World Athletics – then IAAF – in 2015, and final yr was elected for a 3rd time period to finish in 2027.

This yr, Lord Coe controversially turned the primary worldwide sport governing physique president to introduce prize cash for Olympic champions (50,000 US {dollars}/£39,332), with plans to additionally reward silver and bronze medallists on the Los Angeles 2028 Video games.

Whereas a number of new impartial athletics ventures have lately launched –  most notably Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Observe, debuting subsequent yr – Lord Coe disregarded assertions that they is likely to be seen as “disruptions.”

He added: “We should always take consolation in the truth that 5, 10 years in the past no person would have wished to make exterior funding into our sport.

“I’m truly happy that individuals are seeing this sport as one thing to spend money on. I’ve all the time inspired individuals to do their very own factor and be modern. It’s a tide that may rise and profit all people.

“I see no cause to sit down there considering that is something aside from having extra athletes competing.

“If the prize cash is there, that’s going to do what I all the time wished, which was to offer them extra welfare. The athletes themselves will make judgements.”