Golden opportunity UK Sport must make good on its promise to convert medals into social change

Sighs of relief accompanied the appointment of Prof Nick Webborn as UK Sport chair after a lengthy delay and rumours of existential threats from Whitehall's latest quango bonfire.

- Cath Bishop

It is a tricky time to take over as sport hangs in limbo without a strong advocate at the cabinet table as funding and policy decisions are being made. At the same time, attitudes towards public bodies are changing as social needs and demands change. The need to justify the societal benefit of funding those who are world class at their sport is greater than ever. Arguably, there can be no organisation more suited to taking on difficult questions and reaching new heights than the agency that funds and masterminds Olympic and Paralympic high performance. So what's top of Webborn's in-tray? There is always the need to check in with the vision, the purpose, the raison d'être. Set up in 1997 after Great Britain won one gold medal in the Atlanta Olympics, UK Sport's mission was to ensure Team GB produced performances commensurate with the nation's size and potential with consistent funding to create a world-leading system. In short, to become world class.