Toni Minichiello denies all sexual misconduct prices towards him

Toni Minichiello issued an announcement on Tuesday evening denying all sexual misconduct prices and slamming UK Athletics. 

He stated: ‘I can’t totally specific my disappointment with this choice and with UK Athletics’ unfair dealing with of this course of. I strongly deny all the fees made towards me.

‘I’ve been a coach for over 30 years and whereas I’ve been strong and demanding, I’ve not behaved inappropriately in direction of any of my athletes as very a lot of them would verify.

‘From the start, I co-operated with UK Athletics and the appointed impartial investigator.

‘Sadly, the investigation was one-sided. For instance, I supplied to offer UKA with the names and call particulars of 80 witnesses, together with my then coaching group. UK Athletics declined the checklist of these witnesses.

‘Whereas repeatedly requesting particulars as to how the investigation was being performed, this was solely supplied by UKA in a witness assertion shortly earlier than the listening to of this matter, over a 12 months after my provisional suspension, elevating severe questions concerning my means to realize a good listening to.

‘Equally, the tribunal failed to interact correctly with the accessible proof.

‘For instance, one of the vital severe allegations was stated to have taken place once I was in a unique nation to the particular person making the allegations.

‘The tribunal refused to confess my proof on this level and located towards me consequently.

‘There have been many situations of witnesses offering suspiciously related solutions to questions, together with demonstrably incorrect ones, suggestive of collusion; once more, the tribunal didn’t appropriately handle their minds to the necessary difficulty of collusion which was evident all through important components of the proof.

Minichiello stated he ‘can’t specific his disappointment’ and took intention at UK Athletics 

The 56-year-old (left) led Jessica Ennis-Hill (proper) to glory on the London 2012 Olympic Video games

‘There have been additionally situations of witnesses breaching confidentiality to talk to one another in the course of the investigation, which the tribunal failed to handle. It is rather necessary UKA reply rapidly and significantly to severe allegations of misconduct, particularly when these allegations are made by younger individuals.

‘Nevertheless, these investigations and tribunals must be performed fastidiously, with due course of and pretty. I don’t consider that I’ve been handled pretty on this occasion.

‘I want to present my appreciation to the witnesses who got here ahead to help me, and likewise give my appreciation and full understanding to the witnesses who wished to return ahead to help me however had been unable to take action, caring by the opportunity of detrimental repercussions for his or her future careers.’