Dame Katherine Grainger, one of Team GB’s most celebrated athletes, has made history by becoming the first female chair of the British Olympic Association (BOA) in its 119-year existence.
Grainger, who is the only British woman to have won medals at five Olympic Games, beat the BOA’s vice-chair, Annamarie Phelps, in a vote among the organisation’s 46 members on Thursday.
She will succeed Hugh Robertson, who has been in charge since 2012.
This appointment marks another milestone in the impressive career of the 49-year-old from Glasgow, which began at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and culminated in one gold and four silver medals before her retirement from rowing in 2016.
Following her athletic career, Grainger transitioned into sports administration, taking the role of chair at UK Sport, where she revised the organisation’s controversial “No Compromise” policy that had resulted in the withdrawal of funding from smaller sports like wheelchair rugby and badminton after the 2016 Rio Olympics.
The rowing champion said that it was a “huge honour” to assume the role after Team GB announced her achievement.
She wrote in a statement on social media, “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.”
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