Ex-Olympic Coach Charged With Multiple Child Sex Offences

Last Updated:October 14, 2025, 15:29 IST

Vicente Leiva-Modahl, ex-husband of Diane Modahl, faces multiple rape and sexual assault charges, including child offences, at Manchester Magistrates’ Court.

Ex-Olympic Coach Vicente Leiva-Modahl (Getty Images)

Athletics coach Vicente Leiva-Modahl, the former husband of British middle-distance runner Diane Modahl, is set to appear in Manchester Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, facing multiple charges of rape and sexual assault — including offences involving a child.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said on Monday that Leiva-Modahl, 65, has been charged with a range of serious offences allegedly committed between 2012 and 2024.

According to the CPS, the Norwegian national faces:

• Two counts of raping a child
• Five counts of sexually assaulting a child
• Two counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity
• Two counts of assault by penetration of a child
• In addition, Leiva-Modahl is also charged with:
• Two counts of sexual assault on a female
• One count of causing a female to engage in sexual activity
• Two counts of assault by penetration of a female
• One count of controlling and coercive behaviour

CPS: “Sufficient evidence to bring the case to court"

Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor James Bolton-Smith said the charges followed a careful review of the evidence.

“The Crown Prosecution Service has decided to prosecute Vicente Leiva-Modahl for a number of serious sex offences, including offences relating to child sexual abuse," Bolton-Smith said in a statement.

“Our prosecutors have worked to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring the case to court and that it is in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings."

Leiva-Modahl is expected to enter pleas at a later date. No further details about the alleged victims have been released to protect their identities.

Ex-wife Diane Modahl: decorated British Olympian

Leiva-Modahl was formerly married to Diane Modahl, one of Britain’s most prominent track athletes of the late 1980s and 1990s.

Modahl won gold in the 800m at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland and competed in four Olympic Games (1988, 1992, 1996, and 2000). She reached the 800m final at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and later became a vocal advocate for clean sport and athlete welfare.

The couple reportedly separated in recent years, and Modahl has had no professional or personal involvement in the ongoing case.

Leiva-Modahl, who previously worked as a coach and athletics trainer, has been involved in UK athletics for several decades. The case is expected to proceed to the Crown Court following the initial hearing in Manchester.

(with AFP inputs)

Siddarth Sriram

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term...Read More

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term...

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