I feel so let down by it all and do not like to see our sport this way
A lot of people lost their jobs under this UK Athletics regime while my future was decided by someone I spoke to just once
Iwas quite excited about Jo Coates’s arrival as chief executive because I thought she could change the direction we go in, but the performance director position, which was given to Sara Symington, has to be someone who knows the sport.
There is no sport like athletics
– it is multiple sports within a sport, so you have to know that and recognise it.
I always use the example of Apple selling iphones as its flagship product.
Our equivalent is 100metres runners and stars such as Laura Muir, but then you use them to build a brand for everyone.
We have a diverse sport, and we need someone with the knowledge to sell that. Everything the hierarchy did was too abrupt and rash. At times, it felt like there was just change for change’s sake.
A lot of people lost their jobs, and it was not backed up with anything after that. People were fired and not replaced.
They had this “Athlete First” motto, but athletes were not picked for the Olympics after receiving World Athletics invites, which does not adhere to that. There was also no direction for coaches.
We are still without a head of endurance, so I do not know how they were able to decide on my future performances for next year’s funding. The performance director did not speak to anyone. The emails we received were from a separate email address signed off by her.
There was no communication. I spoke to her once in the 11 months she was in place, so I do not know how she has decided my future.
I just feel so let down by it all. UK Athletics is operating a skeleton crew right now after so many people have left.
From the bottom of my heart, it is really concerning.
I don’t like to see the sport in this way. We need some direction – people with first-hand experience of coaching or performing in athletics.
We need people whose heart is in the sport.