Toni Minichiello has been banned from coaching for life by UK Athletics over sexually inappropriate conduct after being found to have committed “gross breaches of trust”.
An independent panel found Minichiello’s actions to “have had severe consequences for the mental health and mental wellbeing of the athletes under his charge”.
The findings relate to anonymous athletes over a 15-year period.
An adjudication panel has found Minichiello:
- made inappropriate sexual references and gestures to athletes.
- failed to respect the athletes right to a private life by making intrusive enquiries and personal comments about their personal lives.
- engaged in sexually physical behaviour, namely inappropriate and unwanted touching of athletes to whom he owed a duty of care.
- engaged in inappropriate and sometimes aggressive behaviour, bullying and emotional abuse.
Minichello, who guided Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill to Olympic success, was suspended from coaching last year.
His coaching licence expired and therefore cannot be subject to a sanction, however UKA says it has decided that it will not entertain any future application made by Minichiello.
“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,” it said.
More to follow..
