Jess coach warned over F-word rant
THE man who inspired Jessica Ennis-Hill to become the world’s leading female athlete will be handed an official warning about his conduct by British Athletics. Toni Minichiello is accused of verbally abusing another female athlete during a foulmouthed rant. He has launched an impassioned defence of his methods and insisted he is a great supporter of women athletes after learning that British Athletics are to issue him with a written caution.
Sportsmail has seen the letter of complaint sent to the governing body by the athlete, who was coached by Minichiello — full name Antonio — for more than a decade until they parted. It reads: ‘Antonio screamed over the top of me: “You’re not allowed on this track, f*** off, f*** off, f*** off, f*** off’ and continued to shout this. ‘Antonio needs to be aware that for anyone, but especially a female, having a grown man aggressively scream over you is threatening, intimidating and upsetting.’ But Minichiello said the argument was a one-off incident after a breakdown in relations and insisted: ‘If you look at my record of supporting Jessica Ennis-Hill . . . it shows my reputation in terms of defending women.’
THE COACH who led Jessica Ennis-Hill to Olympic gold in 2012 will be given an official warning about his conduct after an inquiry found he was verbally abusive towards another unnamed female athlete.
Toni Minichiello has launched an impassioned defence of his coaching methods and insisted he was a great supporter of women athletes after learning British Athletics are to issue him with a written caution.
It follows a blazing row at the English Institute of Sport last December during which he said: ‘You’re not allowed on this track, f*** off, f*** off, f*** off!’
Sportsmail has seen a letter of complaint sent from the athlete, who was coached by Minichiello for more than a decade until they parted last September.
The letter said: ‘ After my session I was sitting on the floor packing my bag whilst chatting to an athlete (one of Minichiello’s group). Antonio interrupted the conversation to ask how long the athlete would be and after we continued to chat.
‘He then came over shouting: “Get off the track, you’re not allowed on here, it’s my track, f*** off!” I responded by telling him British Athletics hire the track, not him, and I’ve been given permission to use it. Antonio screamed over the top of me: “You’re not allowed on this track, f*** off, f*** off, f*** off, f*** off” and continued to shout this.’
The complaint continued: ‘Antonio also needs to be aware that for anyone, but especially a female, having a grown man aggressively scream over you is threatening, intimidating and upsetting. It’s certainly created a very unpleasant work place for myself and others.
‘The young female athletes who witnessed the event also need to have confidence in the fact that such behaviour won’t go unchallenged nor be tolerated and that they have a voice that will be heard should they encounter such treatment towards them in the future.
‘Antonio is a representative of British Athletics and unfortunately his behaviours reflects badly on the company and can’t be allowed to continue.’
The athlete said she had asked witnesses to the argument to support her with statements but added that she suspected they were fearful of repercussions.
Minichiello first met Ennis-Hill when she was nine and coached her throughout her teenage years. He led her to a first world heptathlon title in 2009 and she stuck with him, winning a further world title and an Olympic gold at London 2012.
Minichiello also supported Ennis-Hill following the birth of her first child when she returned to win another world championship and Olympic silver in Rio last summer. He said his relationship with her was testament to his support of women and denied he was a bully. ‘It’s probably one argument in 15 years of a relationship,’ Minichiello told Sportsmail.
‘But if you look at my record of supporting Jessica Ennis-Hill and defending her after Charles Van Commenee’s comments about her being out of shape in 2011, or when people inside the sport said she couldn’t come back after her pregnancy, it shows my reputation in defending women and supporting women’s athletics.
‘ I have always worked my damnedest to make my athletes achievea success and their dreams in whatever way is best appropriate. Does that letter smack of what I am actually like? I honestly do don’t think it does. ‘As a coach I have always worke worked as hard as I can for all my athletes — we are in this to succeed together and it is disappointing when any coach and athlete relationship comes to an end. I understand her frustration, but I think the letter is insulting and inaccurate.
‘Am I a tough coach? I think I am fair, honest and straight-batting,’ he added, ‘I won’t lie to my athletes and neither will I gild the lily. In her book Jess said we had a “love-hate relationship that has caused me more tears, pain and ultimately joy than I have ever dreaded or wished for”. She was talking about all the hard training we did together.’
British Athletics’ welfare department informed Minichiello that the complaint had been upheld on the ‘balance of probabilities’ last week.
Minichiello has a tumultuous relationship with the governing body punctuated by many public spats. In 2013 he was made redundant despite being named UK coach of the Year the previous year. He also accused the former performance director Van Commenee of presiding over a culture of bullying.
‘The outcome of any hearing is of course open to public scrutiny and rightly so,’ said Minichiello. ‘ But when you consider the relationship I have had with the current leadership maybe I am being naive in being curious.’
“Threatening, intimidating and upsetting” — Female athlete “I think letter is insulting and inaccurate” — Toni Minichiello