Athletics coach Toni Minichiello was found to have engaged in "sexually physical behaviour" with athletes; also deemed to have made inappropriate sexual references and gestures to athletes and engaged in "inappropriate and sometimes aggressive behaviour, bullying and emotional abuse".
Tuesday 9 August 2022 18:49, UK
Toni Minichiello has been banned from athletics for life after an investigation found he engaged in "sexually physical behaviour" with athletes.
Minichiello, who coached Jessica Ennis-Hill to Olympic heptathlon glory in 2012, was also deemed to have made inappropriate sexual references and gestures to athletes and engaged in "inappropriate and sometimes aggressive behaviour, bullying and emotional abuse".
He has denied all charges against him.
Governing body UK Athletics said the findings, which amount to a large number of breaches of its coach licence terms over a 15-year period, "constitute gross breaches of trust".
As Minichiello's coaching licence expired during the disciplinary process, he cannot be suspended or subject to a sanction.
However, the governing body has decided it will not entertain any future application made by Minichiello for a coach licence.
"UKA has considered the matter and decided that these findings are of the utmost seriousness," a UK Athletics statement read.
"They constitute gross breaches of trust by Mr Minichiello which have had severe consequences for the mental health and mental wellbeing of the athletes under his charge.
"The issuance of a UKA licence to a coach is essentially a representation on behalf of UKA that the coach in question can be trusted with the athletes under his charge.
"UKA is firmly of the view that there will never be a time in the future at which it would be appropriate to grant that assurance and issue such a licence.
"UKA has decided that it will not entertain any future application made by Mr Minichiello for a UKA coach licence in perpetuity."
A statement from Minichiello read: "I cannot fully express my disappointment with this decision and with UK Athletics' unfair handling of this process. I strongly deny all the charges made against me.
"I have been a coach for over 30 years and while I have been robust and demanding, I have not behaved inappropriately towards any of my athletes as very many of them would confirm.
"From the beginning, I cooperated with UK Athletics and the appointed Independent Investigator. Unfortunately, the investigation was one-sided. For example, I offered to provide UK Athletics with the names and contact details of 80-witnesses, including my then current training group. UK Athletics declined the list of those witnesses.
"While repeatedly requesting details as to how the investigation was being conducted, this was only provided by UK Athletics in a witness statement shortly before the hearing of this matter, over a year after my provisional suspension, raising serious questions regarding my ability to gain a fair hearing.
"Similarly, the tribunal failed to engage properly with the available evidence. For example, one of the most serious allegations was said to have taken place when I was, as a matter of fact, in a different country to the person making the allegations. The tribunal refused to admit my evidence on this point and found against me as a result.
"There were many instances of witnesses providing suspiciously similar answers to questions, including demonstrably incorrect ones, suggestive of collusion; again, the tribunal failed to appropriately address their minds to the important issue of collusion which was evident throughout significant parts of the evidence.
"There were also instances of witnesses breaching confidentiality to speak to each other during the course of the investigation, which the tribunal failed to address.
"It is very important that UK Athletics respond quickly and seriously to serious allegations of misconduct, especially when those allegations are made by young people. However, those investigations and tribunals need to be conducted carefully, with due process and fairly. I do not believe that I have been treated fairly in this instance.
"I would like to show my appreciation to the witnesses who came forward to support me, and also give my appreciation and complete understanding to the witnesses who wished to come forward to support me but were unable to do so being concerned by the possibility of negative repercussions for their future careers."
Ennis-Hill said on Tuesday evening: "Reading the news today about my former coach Toni Minichiello, it is both shocking and upsetting.
"The allegations are awful and although I was never on the receiving end of any sexual physical behaviour, any such inappropriate behaviour or language has no place in any coaching or work environment.
"Everyone should feel safe from any form of physical or mental abuse."
