The UK Sport body has revealed its new strategic framework for events hosting, revealing that the UK will not seek to stage the Olympic games for at least 20 years.
70 events from 32 sports are targeted as potential or feasible future events for hosting, alongside a number that the country has already secured.
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18 of these targeted events are world championship events for their respective sports, for example, the 2029 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships.
The full list reveals a shift in strategy for UK sport, moving away from traditional big-ticket events such as the Olympics in favor of newer and more under-served sporting categories such as urban sports (skateboarding, BMX), para-sports, and esports.
UK Sport will however look to stage soccer’s Women’s World Cup in the UK at some point in the 2030s off the back of the success of England’s women’s national team over recent competitions, and England having put on the UEFA Women's European Championships in 2022.
The body refers to the Women's World Cup as the biggest international competition that the UK has never hosted, with UK Sport deputy chief executive Simon Morton stating: “In the years ahead, we want to host a program of live sport that resonates with the British public and makes a difference to millions of people’s lives.
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By GlobalData“That program has to be more accessible to people and communities across the country ensuring sport reaches as many fans as possible.”
One of the three FIFA Women’s World Cups to take place in the 2030s (2031, 2035, 2039) will be the UK’s target, with the financial pulling power of wealthy nations leaving the UK less able to compete to host traditionally more expensive events such as the men’s soccer World Cup, hence why the Olympics will not be considered for at least 20 years.
The UK is already set to host the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup, as well as the 2026 Women’s Twenty20 Cricket World Cup, highlighting an increased focus on hosting women’s sports events over the coming years.
In terms of Olympic hosting, following this year's games in Paris, Los Angeles will put on the 2028 edition and Brisbane, Australia, will play host in 2032. The 2036 event seems likely at this point to be staged in Qatar, meanwhile.
For the men's soccer World Cup, the host selection process recently allocated 2030 staging rights to six different countries, with Saudi Arabia as the sole preferred bidder for 2034.
London put on the Olympics in 2012, and last hosted the men's World Cup in 1966.
