The first woman to become a head coach at
British Athletics believes it is possible to succeed in sport being kind and that the obsession with medals has gone too far
“Do I think the obsession with medals has gone too far? Absolutely,” says Paula Dunn, with a clarity that is striking and unusual from someone who operates in the higher stratospheres of British sport. “We’ve got to look beyond the medal table, because medals are just not enough.”
Dunn pauses. Takes stock. Reflects on the pressures in the
UK Sport system and where, as we have seen in cycling and gymnastics, it can lead. “Don’t get me wrong, when we did really well in Rio it was lovely,” she admits. “But there is more to it than that. You’ve got a responsibility as well. You don’t want people coming out of a sport saying that they weren’t happy.”