The Culture Secretary has announced the reappointment of Dame Katherine Grainger as Chair of UK Sport for a second term.
With the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games fast approaching and the Beijing Winter Games just around the corner today’s news will see Katherine carry out an additional four year term from 1 July 2021. She will continue to provide strategic direction to UK Sport as it embarks on delivering its new Strategic Plan to create the greatest decade of extraordinary sporting moments; reaching, inspiring and uniting the nation.
Oliver Dowden, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, said: “As we head into a major summer of sport, I am thrilled that we will continue to have Dame Katherine at the helm of UK Sport. I look forward to working closely with her as we continue to support our elite athletes towards every possible success.”
Dame Katherine Grainger DBE, UK Sport Chair, said: “I am absolutely thrilled to be reappointed as Chair of UK Sport. I consider it a huge honour to be in this role, especially at an extremely exciting time for Olympic and Paralympic sport in the UK with the Tokyo Summer Games about to start and the Beijing Winter Games just around the corner.
“Working with CEO Sally Munday and the team at UK Sport, as well as our wider high-performance community of athletes, coaches and staff, has been a real pleasure. As an athlete I experienced the wonderful influence and impact sport can have, and so I am very motivated to continue playing a role in enabling extraordinary moments that enrich lives.
“When I was first appointed Chair back in 2017, I was very aware of challenges we faced as a high-performance community and those are challenges I have relished tackling. Having launched our new strategic plan earlier this year, I am determined to do everything I can to help UK Sport fulfil its ambitious mission.”
Sally Munday, Chief Executive of UK Sport, said: “Katherine has had a hugely positive impact on the UK high performance community during her first term as UK Sport Chair.
“She has been instrumental in shaping our new 10 year Strategic Plan and I’m delighted she will be Chairing the organisation as we set about implementing that new strategy. She is an outstanding leader, an inclusive chair-person and drawing on her experiences as one of Britain’s most successful Olympic athletes, her ability to navigate and lead through significant change and challenge is without question.
“I’ve seen first-hand her passion, energy and determination for continuous improvement and that’s why I’m so excited about what UK Sport and the wider Olympic and Paralympic high performance community can achieve over the coming decade. Our mission to create the greatest decade of extraordinary sporting moments; reaching, inspiring and uniting the nation is something I know is very close to Katherine’s heart and a big driver for her wanting to undertake a second term.
“I’d also like to thank Katherine for the support she’s offered me over my 18 months as CEO and look forward to what we can achieve as an organisation during what I’m certain will be an extremely exciting period for Olympic and Paralympic sport in this country.”