UKA’s new chief executive says rebuilding trust in the sport, resurrecting the governing body’s finances and getting athletics back into London are among his priorities for the ‘sleeping giant’ of British sport

In 1985 Jack Buckner ran 13:21.06 to finish a close third behind Sydney Maree and Doug Padilla in the 5000m at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene. At this month’s World Championships at the same Hayward Field venue his time would have been good enough to qualify for the 5000m final. He has long since hung up his racing spikes, though. Instead, he has visited TrackTown USA in recent days as the new chief executive of UK Athletics.

Speaking to the media on the eighth day of the championships and having only officially been in the role for four days after leaving a similar CEO post at British Swimming, Buckner has yet to get to grips with the complexities of athletics in 2022. But it’s clear he already has a number of strong opinions about the direction he wants to take domestic athletics.

Among his priorities are getting the governing body’s finances back on track, rebuilding trust in the sport, getting televised top-level athletics back into London and on to the BBC regularly.

“The potential is absolutely massive,” he says. “It’s the only sport where you can walk out your door and to a track down the road and become an Olympic champion. No other sport has that level of accessibility, inclusivity, diversity – in a genuine way.”

Buckner, who won European 5000m gold in 1986 and world bronze in 1987, adds: “It’s not just a sleeping giant but it’s massively undervalued, too. I don’t think the sport has been very good at telling its story.”

The 60-year-old says looking at finances that have been hit during the Covid pandemic are one of his first big areas to try to sort out. But he splits his focus into three broad sections. Firstly there is “governance” and the role of UKA. Secondly is “the sport bit” and what he calls the quest to develop and “a dynamic performance programme” and a “winning well” philosophy. Thirdly there is the commercial development and marketing of the sport and he has already got off to a flying start here by signing an agency called Two Circles which is run by former 800m runner Gareth Balch to help with marketing and selling tickets.

“I think it’s the most exciting Olympic and Paralympic sport and it’s brilliant to be back in it,” says Buckner, who has also worked at British Triathlon in the past. “There’s a lot to do in the performance area, rebuilding the reputation of the sport – I want people to look at UKA as a really reputable organisation – and there’s a lot of work to do in the commercial and marketing area.”

Buckner is speaking a couple of days after Jake Wightman’s brilliant victory in the 1500m in Eugene. The performance, Buckner says, is one of those “big moments that cuts through everything else and in a way that not many other sports can do and suddenly everyone is talking about it. Even Boris Johnson was talking about it,” he adds.

The sport will be in the news when moments like this take place during major championships, and the Commonwealth Games and European Championships could provide further moments but what happens when we hit the autumn? Buckner says it’s difficult to “hit the pause” button at the moment but once the summer season is over he will get his teeth into meeting key organisations in the sport. Much of his work will be about rebuilding trust, too.

“Historically [there’s been] a big breakdown in trust,” he says. “I’m really keen to rebuild trust between athletes, coaches, the governing body, agents and brands.”

On the topic of top level athletics at major stadia in the UK, he confirms that athletics will “definitely” be staged at the London Stadium, with next year’s Diamond League meeting confirmed for the Stratford venue.

Why is London important? “Apart from being the biggest centre of population it has the clubs, athletes, history, heritage,” he says. “It’s important domestically for the sport and I think it’s important conceptually because if you go anywhere in international sport then everyone wants to come to London. These global cities have a disproportionate impact. That said Birmingham will be brilliant, too, and of course we have the European [Championships] bid there.”

Naturally, Buckner has been drawing comparisons between swimming and athletics too. Amusingly, he admits: “When I went into swimming I thought would be like athletics but it’s not. They have a much more instinctive sense of team work than athletes do. They turn up on time, do exactly what they’re told and they sit in the stands at an event and support their team-mates. Athletics as a sport right the way through is not like that. It is the most individual sport that there is.”

He believes the elite athlete support system in the UK is perhaps not as good as it should be. “World-class athletes will seek out world-class environments,” he explains. “And if we don’t provide it then they will go elsewhere to find it and I’m not convinced, from what I’ve seen, that we’re providing the level of service that some of them need to improve.”

On the timescale to iron out these issues, he says he hasn’t really given that much thought yet, but says: “I’ve found you don’t have to tell athletes something twice. Already I can feel the momentum changing. Part of me is thinking it could happen quite quickly.”

Certainly there is lots of room for improvement. UK Athletics has seen a number of short-lived CEOs and chairs arrive and leave in recent years with Jo Coates’ tenure as chief executive during the pandemic lasting less than two years.

“Athletics is seen as a problem child,” says Buckner. “Right now if you go into UK Sport, the BOA or Sport England and mention the word ‘athletics’ everybody’s eyes roll. So there’s a really big piece of work that needs to be done to re-engage and reposition the sport in the right way.”

He adds: “I firmly believe this is a sleeping giant. It’s a fabulous sport and could be really good but I don’t want to make knee jerk decision based simply on where we are currently. We need to do things step by step and we have so much potential.”

Currently enjoying a honeymoon period with the media, Buckner has everyone’s support. The clock is ticking, though, with a short-term measure of success being the medals count at the Paris Olympics in 2024.