Lord Sebastian Coe, the President of World Athletics, is currently in Jamaica for a multi-day visit that began on Sunday, January 4. His visit primarily focuses on supporting the recovery of Jamaica’s sports infrastructure following the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa on Tuesday, October 28, 2025. 

Lord Coe arrived at Norman Manley International Airport on Sunday and met with various stakeholders, including the hierarchy of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) and government officials, including Prime Minister Andrew Holness and Sports Minister Olivia Grange.

On Monday night, Lord Coe and his delegation were officially welcomed at a function at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston.

He discussed the importance of assisting Jamaica, especially the schools, which he noted played a pivotal role in the development of athletes, leading to Jamaica’s success on the international stage.

“Tomorrow I will see for myself some of the work that is still going on in your schools’ programme that is again such a distinguishing feature of Jamaica. I’m always conscious that there is no coincidence between what goes on at the very highest level on the podium and the vibrancy, quality, and health of your school programme. That is absolutely essential,” said Lord Coe. “For those of you who coach at that level, thank you because it doesn’t go unnoticed,” he added.

A key part of his itinerary includes a trip to Montego Bay on Tuesday, January 6, to inspect the Montego Bay Sports Complex, which has been out of use for years and suffered further damage during the hurricane.

Coe’s discussions with government officials have centred on how World Athletics can assist in restoring facilities and safeguarding the long-term development of Jamaican athletes.

He is scheduled to meet with local media on the morning of Wednesday, January 6, 2026, before departing the island that afternoon.

The 67-year-old Coe is a double 1500m champion at the Olympic Games in 1980 and 1984 and a former world record holder while representing Great Britain.

He previously visited Jamaica in April 2022 for the 49th Carifta Games. During that visit, he emphasised that major renovations to the National Stadium were necessary if Jamaica intended to host the World Athletics Championships in the future.

Prior to that, he was in Jamaica in 2017 to personally thank Usain Bolt upon his retirement and acknowledge Jamaica’s status as the “sprinting capital of the world”.