Coe appointed IAAF Vice President

The appointment was made in Osaka, Japan, ahead of the World Athletics Championships, which begin tomorrow.

Coe joins Sergey Bubka of Ukraine, American Robert Hersh and Dahlan Al-Hamad from Qatar, who have also been appointed to the four-year position.

One of their main aims is to raise the profile of track and field for young people around the world.

Coe said: 'I am looking forward to taking up this new role which will complement
my work with London 2012.

'What excites me about both roles is the challenge to make sport relevant to young people - using creative ways of inspiring them.'

Britain's top athletes will be hoping to make an impression at the Championships, ahead of the Beijing Games next year and London 2012.

Among the medal hopes are Kelly Sotherton and Jessica Ennis in the heptathlon, and Phillips Idowu in the Triple Jump.