British Olympic Association gets first female chair in 120-year history

Trailblazing former rowing champion Dame Katherine Grainger has been elected the first female chair of the British Olympic Association in its 120-year history.

Grainger, 49, will succeed Sir Hugh Robertson in the post early next year after she completes her final term as chair of UK Sport.

“It is a huge honour to be elected chair of the BOA as the Olympics has been central to my life for nearly 30 years,” she said.

“As an athlete I felt first-hand the incredible influence and impact sport has on people’s lives. During my time as chair of UK Sport, I have learned the power of collaboration as part of this impressive ecosystem that enables Olympic sport to flourish in the UK, and so I look forward to embarking on this next chapter with the BOA.”

Grainger won double sculls gold alongside Anna Watkins at London 2012 and is the only British woman to claim medals at five Olympic Games.

She retired after Rio 2016 and soon became chair of UK Sport, the organisation responsible for distributing funding to sports for their elite programmes.

Unlike UK Sport, the British Olympic Association receives no money from the state and part of Grainger’s role will be helping to attract more private investment to Team GB for the next Olympic cycle.

“Katherine is an esteemed figure in high-performance sport, recognised in the British sporting community as a steadfast leader as well as one of our greatest ever Olympians,” said British Olympic Association CEO Andy Anson.

“We are looking forward to working with her in the build-up to and during Milano-Cortina 2026 and Los Angeles 2028.

“We also say goodbye to Hugh, who has steered the BOA through an extraordinary period. On behalf of everyone at Team GB I’d like to thank him for his commitment and dedication to Team GB’s continued success.”

UK Sport chief executive Sally Munday called Grainger “an exceptional chair of UK Sport and has an outstanding track record not only as one of the UK’s greatest ever Olympic athletes but also as a pioneering and inspiring sport leader.”

She added: “We look forward to working very closely with her as she leads the BOA towards the Milan Cortina 2026 and LA 2028 Games.”