Gift of the Birmingham City Council to London 2012 president Lord Coe
Sterling silver
H 280mm x W 80mm x D 65mm
2007

I was able to make this piece as a result of winning a design competition organised by Birmingham City Council to celebrate the career of Lord Coe as a world class athlete and ambassador for British Athletics.

My aim was to show the progression of Lord Coe’s sporting career with the oval base representing the foundation of his sporting career with it building up to his achievements in winning two Olympic gold medals and two Olympic silver medals.

The surface texture on the centre band radiates outwards to signify Coe’s encouragement of the younger generation of athletes focusing their spirit, mind and body to excel and achieve the higher standard. The Olympic motto is engraved in Latin on the inside of the middle ring: Citius – Altius – Fortius: Higher, Faster, Stronger.

The dynamic form orientates at an angle which symbolises Coe striding towards the finishing line and also represents Birmingham as a forward looking city to launch young athletes into the future.