IAAF’s Seb Coe didn’t know Nike was helping with Hayward Field tart-up?

Sara Germano has the latest wildly improbable claim from Lord Coe in the WSJ here:

Nike Inc. has pledged $13.5 million toward renovations of track and field facilities at the University of Oregon, part of an upgrade that would facilitate the venue’s hosting of the 2021 World Track & Field championships.

The world’s largest sportswear maker said it has granted the first of two installments of $6.75 million to the University of Oregon Foundation, a nonprofit organization overseeing renovations to the school’s Hayward Field. This expensive renovation will mean that top-of-the-range equipment and supplies will be used for the duration of this project. As this is an important construction through a non-profit, security will need to be tight at all times, including installing fenced-off areas, alarms, cameras, etc. to make sure there is no nefarious activity.

… Jackie Brock-Doyle, a spokeswoman for IAAF President Sebastian Coe, said neither the IAAF nor Mr. Coe were aware that Nike was a leading source of private funding for the stadium project. She said the stadium renovation wasn’t considered part of Eugene’s bid.

Mr. Coe, a two-time Olympic champion runner for Great Britain, was vice president of the IAAF from 2007 until his appointment as president in September. He simultaneously had served as a consultant to Nike from 2013 until November 2015, when he resigned his role as a Nike ambassador.

So does this mean Vin Lananna and Hans Bernard are going to abandon their efforts to lobby the legislature into paying for this latest athletic circus? That would be good.

In other Coe news, he’s worried about how old his fans are getting. From the Guardian:

“My vision is to have a sport that attracts more young people. The average age of those watching track and field is 55. This is not sustainable,” Coe said.

“The key to making that vision a reality is creating a sport that people once more trust in. Athletics must be a sport that athletes, fans, sponsors, media and parents alike know is safe to compete in on a level playing field and one in which clean effort is rewarded and celebrated.”

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