Coach Toni Minichiello banned for life by UK Athletics over sexually inappropriate conduct

Toni Minichiello, the former coach of Jessica Ennis-Hill, has been banned for life by UK Athletics after being found to have committed “gross breaches of trust”.

Minichiello was suspended in 2021 and an investigation launched following complaints from several female athletes.

An independent panel has found that over a 15-year period he engaged in sexually inappropriate behaviour, emotional abuse and bullying.

It was ruled that Minichiello’s actions “have had severe consequences for the mental health and mental wellbeing of the athletes under his charge”.

The panel said 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.

Minichiello won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Coach Award in 2012 after working with Ennis-Hill when she won heptathlon gold at the London 2012 Olympics.

His coaching licence has expired so he cannot officially be sanctioned, but UK Athletics say “there will never be a time in the future” when they will consider issuing a new licence.

“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,” said the statement.

“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 considered the matter and decided that these findings are of the utmost seriousness. They amount to a large number of breaches of the UKA Coach Licence Terms over a 15 year period.

“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.”