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The Touchline Sports interview THE JOURNAL OF SPORT, LEISURE & RISK WITH AN INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE November 2023

The Touchline I cannot go without mentioning the World Athletics While the Commonwealth Games in 2026

are currently up in the air, our pathways are
Cross Country Championships that we hosted in
Bathurst in February 2023. We had significant
representation of athletes wherever that Games
challenges in terms of logistics, and financially looking strong and we know we’ll have a great
Sports interview due to the pandemic. In saying this, we worked 2032.
may be, and all the way leading up to Brisbane
thanks to having to postpone the event twice
closely with the Local Organising Committee,
5. What are your expectations for Paris 2024?
which included many of our staff, Athletics NSW
and together, we pulled off one of the best World
Athletics Cross Country Championships held. The Tokyo Olympics were our second most
successful Games in the sport’s history, and we’ve
In this edition, following a successful World Championships for 3. AA had the most successful World seen an improvement on this result at the previous

Australia, Touchline interviewed Peter Bromley, CEO Athletics Championships in Budapest. What are the World Athletics Championships. We’re hoping to

Australia to get his reaction and insights into the future for standout moments for you? meet or exceed the three medals won in Tokyo, but
importantly see results lift in terms of Top-8 and
Athletics Australia. The six medals our athletes won were outstanding Top-16s.
and Nina Kennedy’s gold in the Women’s Pole Vault

1. You were appointed Athletics Australia CEO 2. You were a director of AA for nine years up until will be long remembered. What is not obvious, but If we look at the World Para Athletics
in April 2021 following a lengthy senior level October 2019. What do you feel are the most equally important is the preparation that Athletics Championships, we had two world championships,
career in real estate and finance. What skills significant changes in the three years you have Australia’s High Performance team, coaches and but it was our debutants that also impressed with
and insights did you bring to the role from your been in the Chief Executive role? athletes put in leading into Budapest as the results a total of 11 medals for Team Australia. We’re really
previous business experience? came from this work. Equally, the way the athletes looking forward to seeing our athletes shine at both
Firstly, adjusting to the impacts of Covid-19 required conducted themselves off the track shows that they Games next year.
Like all other businesses it is the people and a review of our business model and the need to really are great ambassadors for the sport.
stakeholder engagement that is critical in our adjust to the changes this brought. Secondly, as 6. How would you describe the state of the sports
sport. If you look at the diversity of stakeholders a I mentioned before it’s the need to focus on our 4. The achievements in Budapest are surely going industry in Australia at present, with particular
we have within the sport of athletics there is a people to help them adjust to the changes and also to encourage more young people into athletics. regard to integrity, fair play & coach-athlete
significant group. As we operate as a federated to understand what they are thinking and feeling Are you seeing an increase in participation? relationships?
sport, that includes our State and Territory Member in these times. We undertake regular engagement Who are the future prospects coming through?
Associations, the peak bodies in sport such as the surveys of our staff so they can provide feedback Integrity is an ongoing focus for all sports as we
Australian Olympic Committee, Commonwealth that we can benchmark and address the issues they There is a lot of young talent across both our able must ensure that we have a safe environment for
Games Australia, Paralympics Australia and the see impacting them and our sport. bodied and para stables, and what is encouraging athletes and all participants at all times. As the
Australian Sports Commission, Government at is that we are seeing this across all of our event National Federation for athletics, it is our role to
Local, State & Federal and then we must consider Some other changes are the reinvigoration of groups in track and field. We are continuing to build ensure we have not only the right policies but the
our partners at the Oceania Athletics Association our Australian Summer Season this year as well on the success of Budapest as well as the World education in place for all athletes and coaches to
and World Athletics. There are many stakeholders as better engagement with athletes – our key Para Athletics Championships that took place in achieve their best.
to consider and all play a part in making our sport stakeholder within the sport. The success of our Paris, and we look forward to seeing our teams
successful, but most importantly it is our team at domestic season this year was a step in the right come together ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic
AA that needs the leadership and confidence to do direction and showed what can be achieved when and Paralympic Games.
their jobs well. we work cohesively, while the establishment of the
Athletes Advisory Commission gave our athlete
cohort a voice and a better understanding of what
goes on behind the scenes of our sport.

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