Q&A with UK Sport Chair Sue Campbell

(ATR) Sue Campbell talks exclusively to Around the Rings about her ambitions for the government agency funding Olympic and Paralympic sport.

Campbell, a former England netball international, was chief executive of the National Coaching Foundation from 1985-1995 before becoming chair of the Youth Sport Trust. In 1998, she received the IOC's President's Prize for her contribution to coaching education.

Before joining UK Sport, she was an adviser to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Education and Skills from 2000-2003.

ATR: Is UK Sport in a good position with two years to go to London 2012?

SC: UK Sport is in a great position to help deliver success in London. We are making the most of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build a robust and sustainable high-performance system in the UK, which produces results at the highest level for British athletes. We have more funding than ever before but, as the likes of football and tennis show, it is not just about money. It is about investing in the right areas, ensuring the right people are in place, surrounding them with the right support and striving for excellence in everything you do. We are confident that our strategy is the right one to build a lasting legacy of success for elite sport in the UK and I believe we are in a good position to deliver it.

ATR: How are Britain's elite level athletes shaping up?

SC: 2010 has seen some of the typically more successful Olympic and Paralympic sports such as cycling, rowing and boxing continue to perform and produce results at the highest level. What’s probably more encouraging however is the progress being made by sports that people may not initially associate with Olympic success. Sports such as diving, triathlon and gymnastics all boast world champions and are beginning to become a force on the world stage. And canoeing has recently achieved it’s biggest ever medal haul at the European championships. So while we still have a long way to go things are currently looking good for us to achieve our medal targets in 2012.

ATR: What are the performance challenges ahead?

SC: There are many challenges that lie ahead for sports in the run-up to 2012 but one that sticks out for me is the increased scrutiny, media attention and expectation that will come with a home Games. Maintaining focus throughout all of that increased pressure, taking advantage of all of the opportunities that present themselves and managing the expectations of athletes, coaches and supporters will prove very challenging. But I am confident that the sports will be able to rise to the occasion.

ATR: How does UK Sport view the opposition?

SC: The same as we always have. We respect them but we don’t fear them. We are confident in the system that is in place here in the UK and Beijing [2008 Olympics]has shown that our ‘no compromise’ approach produces results when it matters. If you concentrate on making sure that you are performing at the highest level possible, making sure that the systems, coaches and athletes are all the best they can possibly be then the results should take care of themselves, regardless of the opposition.

ATR: Has the British Olympic Association and government set realistic medal ambitions?

SC: The medal targets for 2012, a top four in the Olympics and second in the Paralympic medal tables, whilst winning more medals across more sports than at any time in the modern era, are set by UK Sport in partnership with the NGBs [national governing bodies] and are based on what we believe is achievable based on current performance and levels of investment.

ATR: What are the main challenges ahead for you and the new CEO?

SC: There are two key challenges for us. The first is to continue the excellent work of the organization and ensure that British athletes are the best prepared when the Olympic and Paralympic Games come to London in 2012. Nothing has the potential to unite a nation more than sporting success, and great performances by British athletes on home soil will inspire millions of people across the country. We must do everything we can to give our athletes the best chance of succeeding. Following that we must also maximize the impact of 2012, ensuring that the performance legacy from the Games is meaningful by working hard for continued investment in elite level sport at a time of enormous financial cutbacks and demonstrating the wider benefits that success at this level can have on the country.

ATR: How big a loss is the departure of John Steele as CEO, and what are you asking of his replacement?

SC: While we are all very sad to see John go, we are also very proud that he has got what for him is the job of a lifetime [he is the new CEO of the Rugby Football Union]. He made a terrific impact at UK Sport in his five years here and has led the organisation to a place where it is respected both in the UK and internationally for its leadership in performance sport. That he has been able to move on to one of the most high-profile CEO roles in British sport speaks volumes I think not just for him but also the reputation and credibility of the organisation as a whole.

The new CEO has the major task of sustaining what are outstanding current levels of performance from the teams within the organisation which, will in turn help maximize performances of our athletes. He or she will also need to set out their vision and strategy for elite sport in this country following 2012, ensuring that we do all we can to help sport in the UK maximize the impact of hosting a Games.

ATR: When is the new CEO to be appointed?

SC: We need to ensure that we take the time to select the right person to lead UK Sport at what is a key time for British sport. He or she will not be in place by the 27 July but we are hopeful that they will be announced shortly after the two years to go mark.

ATR: How has the new coalition government affected UK Sport's activities and operations?

SC: It is very early days in the term of the new administration but what is clear is that the major focus of our organisation is supported and our 'no compromise' approach and focus on excellence is something that both the new secretary of state and sports minister are fully behind. It is of course always helpful when they are familiar with the brief they have been handed before they begin the role and in Hugh Robertson [Olympics minister] sport has someone who is deeply knowledgeable, well respected and, in my opinion, has the best interests of sport at the heart of all his thinking.

ATR: What impact has the government's $2.45 million budget cut had on UK Sport?

SC: The budget cut is very difficult, particularly as we are already a very streamlined and efficient organisation but we recognise that sport is not in a bubble and immune to these tough economic times. Despite the difficulties we are determined that this cut in funding will have minimal impact on frontline services and will not hamper our team preparations.

ATR: Does it mean much less funding for potential Olympic athletes?

SC: At this stage absolutely not. We have been very clear that the cuts we have had to make so far will be delivered without frontline reductions in spend.

ATR: Do you expect further cuts in UK Sport's budget. and how are you preparing for this?

SC: It is very important that sport, and UK Sport, recognises that we are not necessarily immune from what is a very tough economic climate. Like every public body, we are being asked to prepare for potential cuts. Given the leanness of our organisation however, it is inevitable that any major cuts would impact on our support for athletes. If it came to this, then we would make any changes based on our ‘no compromise’ approach to funding. Hosting an Olympic Games is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and successful British athletes in 2012 are vital if we are to ensure that we maximize the impact on our country.

ATR: Are you confident in delivering the objectives of Mission 2012?

SC: Mission 2012 is our way of demonstrating the progress we believe collectively we are making to be best prepared for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012. It looks at each sport and our investment in three dimensions – athlete, system and climate, from which we draw overall conclusions about the current status of the sport. What it is showing us at the moment is real change across the sporting landscape and it gives us great confidence that we will achieve our goals both to be successful at the Games but also, importantly, to achieve a rooted change in the UK’s high-performance system so that it is robust, sustainable and resourced to the extent that the next generation of athletes are able to benefit from the record levels of funding being enjoyed today.

ATR: Planning for ‘life after London’ – what are the main issues, what should sports in the UK be thinking about now?

SC: Hosting an Olympics and Paralympics has brought us an opportunity to change the face of sport in this country and it is my hope and belief that we will have a sporting legacy from the Games. For life after London, sports should be focusing on issues such as possible changes to their funding levels, people development to ensure top level coaches can be replaced should they retire or leave, and developing a talent pathway for young athletes that will help bring success in the future.

More generally, it is vitally important that following on from the Games people are able to see that hosting a successful Olympics and Paralympics has changed the country for the better. Of course there will be the incredible facilities for people in and around London but we must also be able to show that success on the sporting field has inspired more people to take up sport

ATR: Is it realistic to expect the international legacy program, International Inspiration, to reach 12 million children in 20 countries by 2012?

SC: International Inspiration is a hugely ambitious programme but it is one that we are determined to complete. We are well on our way to achieving the target. But the success of the programme won’t be judged on whether we reach these figures, it will be judged on changing the lives of these children, using the Olympic and Paralympic Games in London to inspire them. From firsthand experience I can tell you that this is already happening on the ground and is something of which we should all be very proud.

Interview by Mark Bisson