Today we have unveiled our refreshed Equality, Diversity and Inclusion strategy to 2032, setting out our priorities to ensure British Olympic and Paralympic sport attracts, develops and retains talent from every background.
The strategy is central to our mission to create extraordinary sporting moments that reach, unite and inspire every corner of our society across the UK.
It reaffirms a focus on four key priorities: Athletes, Leaders, Fans and UK Sport’s own workforce.
View EDI Strategy 2026-32
Key commitments
We will:
- Work in partnership with funded sports to identify where action is most needed to diversify athlete cohorts and leadership teams—shifting the focus from process to delivering the greatest impact, recognising each sport is different.
- Put inclusion at the heart of high performance sport, ensuring athlete voice is embedded in decision-making. While representation is vital, it must be matched by genuinely inclusive environments where all talent can thrive.
- Link and use future investment, including for Brisbane 2032, to meaningful action, with clear expectations, accountability and delivery against agreed plans at the time of investment decision.
- Provide central solutions where they add most value, including investment in targeted recruitment and development of leaders from diverse backgrounds.
- Collaborate with partners, including the Home Country Sports Councils, to strengthen talent pathways, as well as broaden the reach and relevance of Olympic and Paralympic sport.
- Lead by example as an organisation, continuing to build a diverse and inclusive culture within UK Sport.
Building on progress
Since 2021, alongside our funded partners, we have made important strides, establishing a clearer understanding of diversity across athletes, boards and senior leadership, and putting robust plans in place to drive change. Progress to date includes:
- An increase in ethnic diversity on funded boards from 8% to 15%.
- Growth in women coaching in high performance sport from 10% to 20%.
- A record proportion of British women represented in senior international federation roles.
- Major UK Sport-funded events, including UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 and the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025, have also helped broaden the reach of women’s sport—creating new opportunities in volunteering, participation and careers for people from a wider range of backgrounds.
The challenge ahead
Despite this progress, change in many areas remains too slow. Structural barriers continue to limit the diversity of talent entering and progressing through high performance sport, directly impacting the pursuit of success.
Representation across both athletes and leaders varies significantly between sports, and in several areas has yet to shift in any meaningful way.
Looking to 2032
The refreshed strategy sets out the systemic change required to sustain success through to 2032 and beyond. By 2032, we aim to see:
- A funded athlete cohort that reflects the diversity of the UK population and thrives in inclusive environments.
- Leadership across high performance sport that is on track to be representative of the national community.
- Broader and deeper engagement with underrepresented audiences that engage in Olympic and Paralympic sport, between and during the Games.
- A UK Sport workforce that reflects the society it serves.
Together, these ambitions will help ensure that British Olympic and Paralympic sport continues to unlock its full talent potential and inspire everyone in the UK, regardless of who they are or where they come from.
Reaction
Commenting on the publication of the strategy Sally Munday, UK Sport CEO, said:
“We have made some real progress over the past five years, but too many barriers still prevent people from accessing opportunities across high performance sport.
“Talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. If we are serious about remaining one of the world’s most successful Olympic and Paralympic nations, we must do more to find, develop and retain talented people from every background.
“This strategy reaffirms our commitment to a high performance system where people can belong and perform at their best, whether as athletes, coaches, leaders or members of the workforce. That is essential to sustaining Team GB and ParalympicsGB success on the world stage.”
Ismail Amla, UK Sport Board member and Chair of the EDI Advisory Panel, said:
“The UK Sport Board is unanimous: building a truly diverse and inclusive high performance system is mission critical.
“Not just because it is the right thing to do, though it is, but because we are leaving talent on the table every single day that barriers remain in place. In the relentless pursuit of excellence that defines high performance sport, that is a cost none of us can afford.”