William Hague talks to Seb Coe: Olympics, doping and the trans issue

William Hague (0:02)

From The Times and The Sunday Times, this is The Story. I'm William Hague.

My guest this month is my old friend, Lord Sebastian Coe, President of World Athletics and gold medal-winning Olympian. He's the man who brought the 2012 Olympics to London. We spoke about how he got our late queen to agree to that helicopter stunt with James Bond in the opening ceremony.

Lord Coe (0:35)

The first person I spoke to was the Princess Royal. I had the challenge of explaining to her what was being thought, and Her Majesty would leave with James Bond. They get into the helicopter. The helicopter would fly underneath the bridges, and I would never in a million years have guessed the first question I got.

William Hague (0:59)

We covered his recent visit to Ukraine to understand the challenges their athletes are facing.

Lord Coe (1:06)

This trip for me was probably one of the profoundest trips I've ever taken on arriving at a platform at the same time as a hospital train, with an intensive care unit on board where life and death surgery is taking place.

William Hague (1:27)

And what about his position on one of the most divisive issues in sport right now? Transgender athletes.

Lord Coe (1:36)

I am elected to protect and preserve the female category, because if I don't, then no woman will ever win another sporting event.

William Hague (1:49)

The Story Today, Seb Coe, on banning athletes, doping, and finding a place for transgender competitors.

So, Seb, what a pleasure to see you here on this podcast. You are one of the greatest athletes in the history of this country. You were an MP. Then you had the misfortune to be my Chief of Staff when I was Leader of the Opposition. Now you're presiding over World Athletics. Welcome to this podcast.

Lord Coe (2:24)

Thank you. It's lovely to be here. And we did actually, in the dim distant past, talk about doing a program together. So here we are.

William Hague (2:32)

Well, here we are, this is it.

And of course, we both grew up in South Yorkshire. You were in Sheffield and me in Rotherham. We didn't know each other at that time, but we did meet when we were both members of parliament.

Lord Coe (2:43)

Our paths did actually cross on-

William Hague (2:46)

Go on, remind me.

Lord Coe (2:47)

Calendar, which was the regional news program. And you were on there for political reasons.

And I was on there for sporting reasons. And I do remember, you won't want to be reminded of this, because it wasn't that long after your famous debut speech at the party-

William Hague (3:04)

When I was 16

Lord Coe (3:05)

When you were 16

Well, I was making my way through sort of the ranks of Yorkshire Athletics and got invited on by the presenter of all things sport in Yorkshire, which was a guy called Roger Greenwood. I remember leaving the studio clearly as your warm-up act.

William Hague (3:27)

Much appreciated, right.

Okay, well, yes, then you became my chief of staff. And all those years later, we had some real ups and downs, didn't we, in that time? I mean, I was doing the hardest job as leader of the opposition. You'd been an MP for a fishing area in Cornwall.

Lord Coe (3:45)

I know where this is going.

William Hague (3:46)

You arranged to take me to the fishing fleet at Fleetwood during the party conference in Blackpool, not anticipating the tide would go out and there'd be no fishing boats at all there when the world's media turned up with me. So not everything went very well, did it?

Lord Coe (4:01)

Not a great asset to have from somebody who actually did represent a fishing constituency on one of the few constituencies that has a north and a south coast. I should probably have known that, shouldn't I?

William Hague (4:14)

You should have known that.

But even so, we stayed very good friends. And I think you like to tell the story of when you were asked to be chair of the BBC and I advised you not to do it, actually, more as a friend than, I didn't wish any harm to the BBC. I said, your sport needs you more than the BBC. And that's when you went into the International Athletics Federation that you have renamed World Athletics. And the very first day, the police turned up.

Lord Coe (4:45)

Not quite the first day. I think it was within the first week. And I do remember sitting there thinking, my best mate advised me a few months ago, not to take the BBC job as it would be a poison chalice. And I quote, I would lie down in the road if you go anywhere near Broadcasting House to get a job.