RIO DE JANEIRO — The door opened to the president’s box on Wednesday, and Sebastian Coe, standing and watching the steeplechase below, was outlined against a backdrop of empty blue seats in the vast Olympic Stadium.
This is not the color scheme that track and field needs at this historically fraught stage. It is definitely not the look Coe was hoping for when he supported Rio (and South America) as host of the Games for the first time, and enthusiastically provided counsel to the Rio leadership.
At the last Summer Olympics in London, Coe, twice a gold medalist runner in the 1,500 meters, was in charge of the Games as head of the organizing committee.