World Athletics president Sebastian Coe has called on Meta co-founder Mark Zuckerberg and X owner Elon Musk to implement stronger safeguards on their social media platforms. His goal? To protect female athletes from online bullying and abuse.

Coe, who is campaigning to become the next president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), emphasized the urgency of this issue ahead of the IOC election.

If elected, Coe plans to develop more effective strategies to shield female athletes from abuse worldwide. His comments come in the wake of tennis star Emma Raducanu’s recent stalking ordeal, which has spotlighted the growing problem of online harassment in sports.

In an interview with The Daily Mail, Coe didn’t mince words when asked about his message to Musk and Zuckerberg. “Sort this out. This is just unacceptable,” he said.

“We’ve got to do a whole heap more. I’ve seen the distress this causes. It’s pond life, and I’ve spoken to many female athletes about it. Some of the stuff you just want to cry listening to it.”

Coe recalled a conversation with an athlete who told him, “I just don’t care anymore.” His response? “You should care. You should be really angry about this stuff.”

He stressed that online abuse shouldn’t be accepted as a normal part of reaching the top in women’s sports. “We should not accept it as standard practice,” he added.

Elon Musk, commenting on the issue, acknowledged that while stalking isn’t new, social media amplifies it. “There’s a huge element of social media that’s actually an act of cowardice,” Musk said. “It’s saying stuff you can probably say because it’s anonymous, and you wouldn’t say it to someone’s face.”

Coe’s remarks come less than two weeks before the IOC presidential election, where he hopes to replace Thomas Bach in one of the most powerful roles in global sports.

British athletes Eilish McColgan and Georgia Hunter Bell recently discussed the “dark side” of social media, revealing how trolls have body-shamed them online. Coe is now pushing for urgent talks with tech giants to address this growing crisis.

Beyond social media reforms, Coe has outlined other changes he’d pursue as IOC president. For instance, he has already rescheduled the next two World Athletics Championships Tokyo in 2025 and Beijing in 2027 to September, signaling his proactive approach to leadership.

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