Despite a loss of around £400,000 at last year’s London Diamond League, UK Athletics’ chief executive adds that the meet can be a profit-driver like Silverstone is in F1
Jack Buckner states that “our plan is on track”, after UK Athletics announced a loss of £1.2m for the financial year up to the end of March 2024.
That’s down from the £3.7m reported last year, with the governing body projecting a loss of £250,000 for next year and a break even position in 2025-2026.
The figures come off the back of Paris 2024 where Great Britain secured 10 Olympic athletics medals – the most since LA 1984 – and 18 in the Paralympics.
“We never like negative results but we’re pleased that our plan is on track,” Buckner, UK Athletics’ chief executive, said. “In fact, we’re slightly ahead of our plan and that’s our intention to keep step by step improving the position of the sport.
“It feels like we’ve got a great performance programme with not just established stars, but really exciting stars for the future – whether you talk about Phoebe Gill or Louie Hinchcliffe and obviously Keely Hodgkinson, Jake Wightman, Matt Hudson-Smith and Katarina Johnson-Thompson.
Louie Hinchliffe (Getty)
“It feels like we’ve got a really exciting team and the success of the relays, so we’re delighted with that and we’re delighted with the way Paris went.”
Buckner also believes that the Diamond League can be “like Silverstone” and a “profit driver for us”, despite UK Athletics losing £400,000 on it last year and £800,000 when Birmingham held the event in 2022.
Since the Diamond League returned to London last year, the meet – now delivered by Athletics Ventures, which involves UK Athletics, London Marathon Events and The Great Run Company – has sold out on both occasions.
Next year’s edition (July 19, 2025) will be the last Diamond League before the national trials, ahead of a September world championships in Tokyo.
The event will once again be at the London Stadium but discussions are already in place on evolving it for the better.
Georgia Bell, Keely Hodgkinson and Jemma Reekie (Getty)
“In terms of innovation, we are absolutely looking to do that,” Buckner added. “I’m hoping we’ll come out with some innovative ideas and I think we probably all recognise the success of some of those kinds of concepts.
“So yeah, we’re definitely looking at ways of innovating, keeping the heart of it kind of pure and authentic, which we did this year.”
UK Athletics however will not be taking up…
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