Former coach of the British national team accused of raping a minor.

Former coach of the Great Britain Olympic team accused of sexual crimes

According to The Sun: Acting coach of the Great Britain athletics team Vincent Modal is accused of committing several sexual crimes, including the rape of children.

Modal faces 19 charges, including two counts of child rape and seven counts of sexual violence against a single person.

65-year-old Modal, whose real name is Jose Vincent Leyva-Modal, is the husband of former Commonwealth champion at 800m Diana Modal.

According to the prosecution, all charges are made against one unnamed woman over the period from 2012 to 2024.

“The prosecution has decided to bring Vincent Leyva-Modal to court for several serious sexual crimes, including offenses related to sexual violence against children,” said James Bolton-Smith, Deputy Attorney General.

“Our prosecutors have been working to establish that there is sufficient evidence to refer the case to court and that it is in the public interest.”

Modal is scheduled to appear at Manchester Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.

Charges against Vincent Modal

• 5 counts of sexual violence against a child
• 2 counts of sexual violence against a woman
• 2 counts of inciting a child to sexual activity
• 1 count of inciting a woman to sexual activity
• 2 counts of child rape
• 2 counts of rape of a woman
• 2 counts of penetrating a child with violence
• 2 counts of penetrating a woman with violence
• 1 count of controlling and coercive behavior

A Norwegian father of three worked with 23 different Olympians throughout his athletics career.

He achieved his greatest success coaching Moroccan Saïd Aouita, who became a five-time world record holder and Olympic champion.

Aouita succeeded at all distances from 800m to 10,000m, making him one of the most versatile runners in Olympic history.

Modal also gained attention by discovering GB team star Amy Pratt in her teenage years, coaching her from age 13 to professional level.

His most famous role was coaching, managing, and partnering with former middle-distance runner Diana Edwards.

Diana won a gold medal at 800m at the 1990 Commonwealth Games, silver at the 1986 Commonwealth Games, and bronze at the 1998 Commonwealth Games.

She also competed for Great Britain at four Olympic Games from 1988 to 2000.

In 1994, her career abruptly ended due to a positive testosterone test during a random check at the Commonwealth Games in Canada.

Diana and Vincent denied any wrongdoing, claiming there were no prohibited substances in her body.

During the investigation triggered by the test results, Diana's lawyers found that the testing laboratory in Lisbon had improperly stored her sample.

In July 1995, Modal was exonerated by the International Association of Athletics Federations after evidence emerged indicating improper cooling of her urine sample.

Laboratories noted that the sample had been stored in a room at 35 degrees Celsius for three days, causing serious bacterial degradation.

Although the ban was lifted, legal costs affected her career, and she retired in 2002.

Diana and Vincent even co-authored a book about their experiences titled 'The Story of Diana Modal - Running the Distance'.

They also established the Diana Modal Sports Foundation (DMSF) in 2010, aimed at helping young athletes from disadvantaged families gain opportunities to enter the sports world.