Two fighting for top job at troubled UKA

A two-way shootout has developed for the chairman’s position at crisis-hit UK Athletics between former Scottish Athletics chair Ian Beattie and Sport England board member Chris Grant.

the current chair, Nic Coward, is leaving next month and urgency around the appointment is escalating with the UKA in chaos.

there had been calls for funding body UK Sport to intervene by making an approach to Sir Brendan Foster — as revealed by Sportsmail — and also an approach by British athletes to world Athletics chief Lord Coe to step in.

Beattie and Grant are well respected, though Beattie may hold the advantage because of his background in athletics.

Meanwhile, broadcaster Charlie webster has hit out at UK Athletics after her BBC documentary Nowhere to Run on the abuse she and other athletes suffered at the hands of coach Paul North, who was jailed for 10 years in 2002 for sexual assault and rape.

UKA CEo Joanna Coates claimed that victims would be listened to, but webster hit back on twitter: ‘these words are Not the reality.

‘I’ve been inundated from victims overnight who have been let down and ignored by UKA. (UKA) have my mobile number, I’ve been waiting 19 years.’