It was today confirmed that Dame Katherine Grainger will become the new Chair of the British Olympic Association (BOA).
The 46 members of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) voted to elect Katherine, replacing the incumbent Sir Hugh Robertson.
In doing so Katherine becomes the first ever female Chair of the BOA since its establishment in 1905.
A highly respected figure in sport, Dame Katherine Grainger is the only British woman in history to have won a medal at five successive Olympic Games. Shortly after retiring from a high-performance rowing career spanning over twenty years, she was appointed as Chair of UK Sport where she instigated a new strategy to shape the future direction of Olympic and Paralympic Sport. She will commence her initial four-year term after the completion of her second and final term with UK Sport in early 2025.
New British Olympic Association Chair Dame Katherine Grainger said: “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. 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 eco system that enables Olympic sport to flourish in the UK, and so I look forward to embarking on this next chapter with the BOA.”
British Olympic Association CEO Andy Anson said: “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. 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. I would also like to thank Annamarie Phelps for all the support she has given to the BOA during this period, and we look forward to continuing to work closely with her as we go forward.”
Outgoing Chair and IOC Member Sir Hugh Robertson, said: “It has been a huge honour and privilege to lead The British Olympic Association and Team GB for nine years since I started standing in for Lord Coe in 2015. My thanks go to the Board, executive and, of course, our athletes who have outperformed expectations at successive Games.”
The BOA is an independent, privately funded organisation that receives no annual funding from the lottery or government and a major focus of the Chair will be on supporting the CEO and executive team to secure the commercial income required to fulfil its obligations in ensuring athletes have the resources and support they need to continue to excel in the forthcoming Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games and Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
During Robertson’s nine years in leadership, Team GB have won over 200 medals at the Summer and Winter Olympic Games, with the BOA widely regarded as delivering a world leading performance environment at Games time. With the help of its commercial partners and donors, the BOA’s financial position has also been transformed.
