British Sport chair Dame Katherine Grainger, who will leave after ten years, calls it “frustrating” that there won’t be more significant events in the country over the next ten years.
The funding agency’s head told BBC Sport, “We risk public investment, we risk opportunities for athletes,” she said.
After eight years in charge, the former Olympic and Paralympic rowing champion will step down as the most senior athlete.
UK Sport tries to ensure the nation bids for and organizes the biggest events in the world in addition to funding elite athletes.
She said, “We have a great reputation for it.” However, I believe there will be difficulties going forward.
We have scheduled events, they say. However, after 2028, we have nothing secure when it comes to “mega-events.”
Since the start of the decade, there have been fewer significant events being held in the UK.
This year, along with the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, Britain will host the women’s rugby union World Cup in England.
The men’s and women’s Tour de France competitions will both take place in Britain in 2027, according to a rumored announcement last week. The 2028 men’s European Championship will be held in the UK and Ireland in football.
However, Grainger claims more needs to be done, despite the home countries’ intentions to submit a joint bid for the 2035 women’s football World Cup.
She said, “We don’t want fallow years.” We don’t really have anything named after 2028. That is a significant gap.
There are still many things happening that are for the taking. Although it is quite obvious why these megaevents are significant to the nation, we may not have made the case clear.
There is something we still could do to ensure that we have consistent eyeballs on this country and what we’re doing in sport, despite the fact that it’s a very difficult time, especially for the government to support financially.
No one can accept their place in world sport without sacrificing theirs, and it will require collaboration. We should still have big goals for what we can do next.
UK Sport is hoping for more financial support to compete in major events despite receiving a record £330 million government funding package for its sports over the next four years to win medals at the LA 2028 Games.
Grainger cited as potential targets the 2029 World Athletics Championships, the 2030 Solheim Cup, and the 2031 Ryder Cup as examples of winning bids that required a lot of campaign time.
She added that there should be “really good conversations” between people with intellectual disabilities and the Special Olympics. The event has never been held in the UK, and it currently falls outside of UK Sport’s funding scope.
