Peacock calls on Coe to give para athletes more visibility

Runner finishes fifth as Team GB secure six golds in one day

- TOM HARLE

Jonnie Peacock sank to fifth in the men’s T64 100m at the Paralympics but did not miss his opportunity to call out Seb Coe and demand genuine inclusion in the Diamond League programme. Disability disciplines are included by host cities of

Diamond League events on a discretionary basis, with classifications often combined and events taking place outside of the global broadcast window.

Para athletics is governed by the International Paralympic Committee, not World Athletics, but Peacock used his platform at Paris 2024 to insist that Coe intervenes.

“The Paralympics, we need to stop letting it die,” said Peacock, who is one of over 1,000 elite athletes on UK Sport’s National Lottery-funded World Class Programme, allowing them to train full time, have access to the world’s best coaches and benefit from pioneering medical support – which has been vital on their pathway to the Paris 2024 Games.

“Seb Coe, I need you, we need you, to put us in the actual Diamond League. Not a cheerleader event, not five minutes before the cameras turn on, we need to be visible. It makes them look good – stick them on before anyone gets in their seat and we can pretend it looks good. Let’s also mix it up so someone can break a world record and come sixth, that’s a joke and it’s a disrespect to the person finishing sixth who is a gold medal athlete.