UK Athletics Strategy To Move Focus Away From Medals

UK Athletics (UKA) has published a new 12-year strategy, which will see the organisation move focus away from simply winning medals in a bid to also support clubs and coaches as well as inspiring participation.

The governing body has announced three goals as part of the strategy, which include improving the performance of athletes, supporting a world class system of clubs, coaches, officials and competitions, and making sure there is ‘a continuous supply of athletes’ by sustaining participation levels.

UKA has also announced that the CEOs of all five athletics organisations in the UK – Athletics Northern Ireland, England Athletics, Scottish Athletics, Welsh Athletics and UKA itself – have signed up to a UK wide framework agreement, which sets out how they will work together to deliver the strategy.

The group will also set up a series of ‘cross-organisational’ working groups which will cover a multitude of topics including equality, diversity and inclusion, leadership, performance and talent, coaching and commercial.

“This is a significant opportunity for the sport and the first time that all five governing bodies have come together as equal partners to build a united strategy for athletics in the UK, one that they will deliver together in collaboration,” said Joanna Coates, CEO, UK Athletics, who is also a Sport Industry NextGen Coach.

“This is a key development as outlined in the Dame Sue Street review of UK Athletics published in May 2020. The co-development of a long-term strategy and framework agreement for athletics across the UK, with an ethical decision-making culture and a new communications strategy will ensure that we address the sport’s long-term issues.

“I’m delighted that we are all united behind these three aspirations and that the new working group format will ensure we are working jointly on these key priority areas.

Sally Munday, CEO, UK Sport and Sport Industry Awards 2021 Judge added: “Today’s announcement of a new UK-wide strategic plan for athletics is an important milestone for the sport in enabling it to flourish at all levels. 

“We remain committed to supporting UKA and the Home Country Athletics Federations as they progress in their work to deliver on all aspects of the Change Plan for the sport, which followed the independent review earlier in the year.”