Coe Urges Musk, Zuckerberg to Combat Online Abuse of Female Athletes

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe has called on Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg to implement stronger measures against online abuse targeting female athletes. Speaking ahead of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) election, Coe emphasized the urgent need for action, particularly in light of recent incidents involving athletes like Emma Raducanu and Eilish McColgan facing harassment on social media. He described the current state of online abuse as 'pond life' and highlighted the emotional toll it takes on athletes, urging that it should not be considered a normal part of their experience in sports. Coe plans to create a taskforce to develop strategies to protect these athletes and believes that artificial intelligence could play a role in addressing the issue. His commitment to confront social media leaders directly reflects a growing concern over the safety of women in sports. Coe's advocacy comes as he seeks to replace Thomas Bach as IOC president, potentially bringing significant focus to these pressing issues in global sports governance.