New advisory committee has been formed to represent the interests of athletes ahead of the Commonwealth Games

Race walker Tom Bosworth and sprinter Katrina Hart are among the members of Birmingham 2022’s new athletes’ advisory committee – a group of Team England stars who will play a role in the planning and delivery of the Commonwealth Games over the next two and a half years.

The committee has been formed to represent the interests of athletes and provide the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games organisers with advice and guidance. Its role is to outline exactly what competing athletes want and need from the Games experience and specifically they will be advising on the provision of facilities within sporting venues and the athletes’ village, catering, accommodation, transportation, training venues, accessibility and ceremonies.

The committee also includes triathlete Alistair Brownlee, netballer Jodie Gibson, weightlifter Sarah Davies and squash player Sarah-Jane Perry.

“It’s such an honour to have been selected to be part of the athletes’ advisory committee and it’s fascinating to be able to see behind the scenes of a major sports event,” said para athlete Hart, who won gold in the T37 100m in Delhi in 2010 and is a member of Birmingham’s biggest athletics club, Birchfield Harriers.

“I’m excited to be able to play a key role in ensuring that Birmingham 2022 is the best possible Games for all of the 4500 athletes that will be taking part.

“This role is made even more special for me as I’m helping to organise an event which is taking place right on my door step, so I’m even more determined to help ensure the Games is a success.”

Zara Hyde Peters, chair of the committee, said: “We’ve created a very strong athletes’ advisory committee, with passionate and dedicated athletes who have already begun to make an excellent contribution towards helping us to organise the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

“It is invaluable to have the insight of current athletes when organising the Games, as they’ve attended the most recent multi-sport events and have that fresh and very relevant experience to draw on.

“This committee also affords an opportunity for the athletes to see behind the scenes of a major games and to better understand the staging of the sports events in which they compete with such distinction.”

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