In December, UK Athletics revealed that the organisation had experienced an annual loss of £1.8m ($2.2 USD). The beleaguered National Sport Organisation (NSO) had savings from the 2012 London Olympic Games drop from £2.2m ($2.772 USD) to £430,000 ($541,000 USD). The NSO desperately needs help.
On July 23rd this year things are about to get challenging for UKA with the hosting of the London Diamond League meet, which is projected to lose money — yet is a marquee athletics event.
Diamond League: UK Athletics receives £150,000 from UK Sport for July event – thanks for the support @uk_sport @BritAthletics – 40000 tickets sold, still available- can we deliver the BIGGEST athletics event since London 2017 ? https://t.co/dI9tYQ9pgu
— jack buckner (@jackrbuckner) June 8, 2023
UK Sport has since invested £150,000 to UKA to host the meeting at London Stadium.
“We’re grateful for this award,” Jack Buckner, chief executive of UK Athletics, said.
The money is to be taken from National Lottery major event funding.
The COVID pandemic had a major effect on all NSOs and UKA was not spared. UKA hopes to sell 40,000 tickets to the one-day premiere athletics event.
Sally Munday, CEO of UK Sport, said, “We want the UK to remain on the Diamond League calendar and for the event to become financially sustainable as quickly as possible.
“We are looking forward to working collaboratively with our colleagues at UK Athletics in the build-up to the event and beyond to try to ensure this happens.”
The London Diamond League will feature many of Great Britain’s top athletes including Eilish McColgan, Jake Wightman, and Dina Asher-Smith as well as international athletes like Sifan Hassan, Femke Bol and Sha’Carri Richardson..