In Brief : Coe Will Race Again for Britain

Sebastian Coe, a four-time Olympic medalist who was left off the British team for the Seoul Olympics, will return to his nation’s squad for the European Indoor Track and Field Championships in February.

Coe has been selected to run the 800 meters for Britain at the Feb. 18 and 19 meet at The Hague although he has not competed indoors at that distance since 1983, when he set a world-best time of 1 minute, 44.91 seconds.

The 32-year-old Coe, who won the 800-meter indoor European title in 1977, has been training in Florida and said he plans to run in several races in the United States this winter to prepare for the European championships.

Coe, who captured gold medals in the 1980 and 1984 Olympics in the 1,500 meters and silver medals in the 800 meters in each of those Games, was left off the British squad for Seoul after performing poorly at the British Olympic trials last summer.

The Olympic decision was controversial in Britain because of Coe’s exploits, and International Olympic Committee President Juan Antonio Samaranch even lobbied to get a special exemption for Coe to run in Seoul, but the British selectors would not add him to the squad.

“I never said I did not want to run for Britain again,” Coe said after his selection for the European indoor championships. “I am planning a full program of races this winter.”