British coach banned for life after photographing athlete in shower

A leading coach to British international athletics stars has been banned indefinitely from the sport after admitting that he covertly photographed one of his athletes while they were taking a shower.

Michael Baker was in charge of an elite group of British sprinters in Loughborough, where he also worked as a lecturer at a local college.

In June 2021 Baker, now 32, photographed a young adult male athlete while he was showering in a hotel suite in Bedford. The offence took place on the weekend of the England National Age Group Championships, with UK Athletics (UKA) suspending the coach six days later.

A UKA disciplinary panel found Baker to be in breach of seven sections of the governing body’s coach licence terms and conditions, with the panel concluding that he is “no longer eligible for a licence in perpetuity”.

The decision, which has now been published by UKA on its website, states: “The charge against the respondent is that on 19 June 2021 in a hotel in Bedford he entered the bath/shower room area, knowing that a male adult was showering. He took a picture of the male adult without consent. The respondent has admitted the charge.”

Baker was also found to be in breach of three sections of the coach’s code of conduct, which requires coaches to: “Respect the rights, dignity and worth of every athlete and others involved in athletics and treat everyone equally . . . develop appropriate working relationships with athletes based on mutual trust and respect . . . [and] never engage in inappropriate or illegal behaviour.”

Baker was a sports science lecturer at Loughborough College but a spokesman said he left the college in July 2021. The Times has approached Baker for comment. The disciplinary panel said he had no right of appeal.

Last month UKA chiefs said the legal cost of so many disciplinary and safeguarding cases had risen to £600,000, contributing significantly to losses of £1.8 million last year.