“It's human nature, risk versus reward”- Sebastian Coe on why sports will never be drug free

Sebastian Coe, former Olympian and current World Athletics President, recently spoke about the issues concerning doping in the sport of track and field. The Brit detailed why he thinks it's unlikely that doping will stop completely, despite rigorous testing and penalties.

Coe was elected president of World Athletics in August 2015 and has been a vocal advocate against the use of performance-enhancing drugs. However, the 67-year-old believes that doping will never be a thing of the past, despite the best efforts of the WA and all other anti-doping agencies.

Speaking to William Hill on the Up Front with Simone Jordan podcast, Sebastian Coe detailed that he thinks doping will always pose a threat, given human nature.

“I feel like we're now in much safer territory when it comes to doping. Will we ever get to the utopia of a sport that is drug-free? No, of course not, it's human nature, risk versus reward,” he said (at 43:10).

He went on to add that given the fact that some athletes have nothing to lose and everything to gain when they win, they will always be willing to take on the risks that come with doping.

“If you're a street kid, in some countries the risk versus reward is huge and if you get caught and are returned to the street then that's nothing ventured, nothing gained, so it is a challenge.”

Sebastian Coe also specified that while putting an end to doping might not be possible, the sport has come a long way.

“I think we're in much better territory with doping, we have the systems in place now. Ideally, we wouldn't be having to spend £8 million a year on an integrity unit, but I would rather have the short-term embarrassment of a high-profile positive test, than have the gentle decline into the morality of a knacker's yard,” he said (at 44:34).

“For me, weeding out the cheats doesn't make me feel good for exposing them, it's more about protecting the clean athletes,” he went on to add.

Sebastian Coe’s career as an athlete

Sebastian Coe at the LA Olympics

Sebastian Coe first ventured into the world of track and field as a middle-distance runner and enjoyed immense success during his time as an athlete. Coached by his father, the Brit first caught the attention of audiences as a 22-year-old when he clinched gold in the 800m at the 1977 European Indoor Championships.

In 1979, Coe cemented his name into the record books when he set three World Records in 41 days. He set the records in the 800m, the mile, and the 1500m, becoming the first person in history to hold all three at the same time.

In 1980, Sebastian was crowned the Olympic champion in the 1500m. The next year, he set new world records in the 800m and 1000m. To date, these records are the third and second fastest in the respective categories.

The year 1983 was plagued with health issues for Coe, but he returned to the spotlight at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, where he defended his 1500m title.