Laura Muir's former coach handed three-year athletics ban after serious misconduct charges

Andy Young, Team GB star Laura Muir's former coach, has been handed a three-year ban from athletics after being found guilty of serious misconduct. UK Athletics (UKA) confirmed that a disciplinary panel had convicted Young, who was Muir's coach when she won the Olympic silver medal in the 1500 metres in Tokyo in 2021, on nine out of the 39 charges he faced. Seven of them were serious.

The panel's written decision was the subject of an appeal, having been issued in October 2024. An appeal panel upheld the original panel's findings in full in August but reduced the initial sanction from five years to three years, effective as of April 2023. According to UKA, the original panel concluded that Young prioritised performance over athlete welfare, ignored medical advice, and exhibited manipulative and coercive behaviour towards those he coached.

UKA also said that Muir waived her anonymity in order to confirm her involvement in the case, although athletes haven't been named in relation to specific charges within the findings. Muir and fellow middle-distance runner Jemma Reekie parted ways with Young following a warm-weather camp in South Africa in 2023.

Among the misconduct proven by the independent panels, Young - following a disagreement with one athlete - drove at speed with the athlete in his car before abandoning them by the roadside. The 45-year-old was also found to have forced an athlete to compete against a physiotherapist's advice and emotionally undermined those who raised concerns about injuries.

In addition to a backdated ban, which allows him to return in April 2026, Young is obliged to undergo training on athlete welfare, medical collaboration, injury management, bullying and harassment. Reacting to the news, Muir said: "I fully support the decisions reached by both independent panels and I am grateful that the process has been followed through so thoroughly.

"I want to thank those who came forward and those who contributed to the process - it has not been easy, but it was necessary. Athletics has always been my passion, and I am pleased to say that I have rediscovered the love of my sport and the enjoyment of training and working within a supportive and positive coaching environment. I am now focused on the future, looking forward to the next few years of my career, and putting this difficult chapter firmly behind me."

UKA chief executive Jack Buckner added: "This has been a difficult and sobering case for everyone involved in athletics. There is no level of success on the track which can ever justify behaviours that fall so short of the standards required of a UKA-licensed coach.

"This case underlines that performance and medals can never come at the expense of athlete welfare. Significant culture change has already taken place within UKA. The emphasis on welfare and respect has been further driven from the leadership of Paula Dunn and the performance team.

"We have strengthened reporting systems, expanded welfare support, and ensured independent expertise and support is available when concerns are raised. We are grateful to the athletes who showed courage in coming forward - their actions have ensured that unacceptable conduct has been exposed and addressed."