UK Athletics has admitted corporate manslaughter following the death of a Paralympian during training.
Abdullah Hayayei, a father of five from the UAE, died after a metal pole from a throwing cage struck him on the head during shot put training in Newham, east London, on July 11, 2017.
Inquiries established the throwing cage had not been put up correctly, making it unstable.
Mr Hayayei was preparing to represent his country at the World Para Athletics Championships in the F34 class for discus, javelin and shot put.
Police and other emergency services were called to the scene, but he was pronounced dead at the scene despite the efforts of medical staff.
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UK Athletics Ltd pleaded guilty to corporate manslaughter, while Keith Davies, 79, the head of sport for the 2017 World Paralympic Athletics Championships, admitted a health and safety charge.
The national governing body now faces a substantial fine, with sentencing at the Old Bailey scheduled to begin on Monday.
Fines for corporate manslaughter range from £180,000 to £20 million.
The Metropolitan Police conducted a detailed investigation into the incident.
Officers examined more than 1,500 documents, gathered about 160 statements, spoke with more than 80 witnesses and assembled several expert reports to determine how the tragedy occurred.
Colin Gibbs of the Crown Prosecution Service said: “Abdullah Hayayei was a father-of-five who should have been able to compete on the world stage and return home safely to his family.
“There can be no doubt that UK Athletics were grossly negligent in their safety management, which caused the death of a talented athlete.
“They left equipment in a seriously unsafe condition and Mr Hayayei’s death was wholly avoidable – a fact the organisation has admitted.
“For years there was a failure to inspect, maintain and properly manage basic safety components, leaving a heavy metal structure dangerously unstable.”
UK Athletics said it “deeply regrets” the incident, adding: “Our deepest thoughts and sympathy remain with his family, friends, team-mates and all those affected by the events of that day.”
UK Athletics, the national governing body for athletics in the UK, had an annual revenue of £13.8 million, according to latest accounts to March 2025.
However, its income, primarily from grants and sponsorship, is largely matched by expenditure.
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