LONDON: UK Athletics has admitted corporate manslaughter over the death of Emirati Paralympian Abdullah Hayayei, who was killed in a training accident in London in 2017, it was reported on Friday.
Hayayei, 36, died after a heavy metal cage collapsed on him while he was preparing for the World Para-Athletics Championships at Newham Leisure Centre in July of that year.
The governing body had initially denied the charge when it appeared in court in March 2025 but entered a guilty plea on Friday during a hearing at the Old Bailey in London, media reports said.
Keith Davies, the head of sport for the London 2017 World Para-Athletics Championships, also pleaded guilty to a health and safety offense.
The 78-year-old had previously denied a charge of gross negligence manslaughter.
Prosecutor Karen Robinson told the court a two-day sentencing hearing should be scheduled for early June, confirming the prosecution would not pursue a trial and that all remaining matters would be resolved following sentencing.
Davies was granted continued bail, subject to conditions including cooperation with the UK Probation Service in the preparation of a pre-sentence report.
At the time of the fatal incident, Hayayei was training to compete at the London championships.
The UAE athlete had been due to take part in the F34 shot put, discus and javelin events.
A father of five, Hayayei made his Paralympic debut at the Rio Paralympics in 2016, finishing sixth in the javelin and seventh in the shot put.
London 2017 was set to be his second world championships appearance, having placed fifth in the discus and eighth in the shot put at the 2015 event in Doha.
A moment of silence was observed in Hayayei’s memory during the opening ceremony at the London Stadium.
