We want to win in Paris – and we want to win well.

By Dr Kate Baker, Director of Performance at UK Sport 

In some ways, it’s hard to believe that there are less than 12 months go to until the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris. That is in part because it’s just two years since the last Games in Tokyo – and we know already that this will be a very different celebration of sport than the one we saw in Japan. 

Friends, family and, most of all, fans of our athletes will be out in force to show their support at Games that will be held in our time zone for the first time since London in 2012.  

It promises to be an incredible event – and it was a pleasure to welcome several members of the media to the National Sports Centre at Bisham Abbey this week to look ahead and discuss our prospects for the Games. 

There is clearly a lot of interest in how our teams will fare next summer. Appetites have been sharpened by some wonderful sport recently, not least the fantastic displays of our teams at the World Cycling Championships in Glasgow and the World Athletics Championships in Budapest.  

Naturally, people want to know how many medals Team GB and ParalympicsGB will bring home. As you may be aware, we do not release our projected medal ranges until the Games are just a few weeks away.  

But you can rest assured that our athletes, and their dedicated support staff, will be putting in a phenomenal amount of work over the next year to ensure they are ready to deliver peak performances before the eyes of the world in Paris.  

I see close up the calibre of our athletes, and the people who work with them, and I’m acutely aware of the history we have in this country of producing excellent performances at the Olympics and Paralympics. 

That leads me to be confident that we can rise to the significant challenge of finishing again in the top five of both the Olympic and Paralympic medal tables. 

However, it is also important that, in the words of our strategy, we “keep winning and win well”. I’m aware there is a little cynicism around this phrase; surely all that matters is to keep producing medallists and champions? 

At UK Sport, we’re looking for more. Of course we want to see our athletes keep winning. We know how much sports fans in the UK love watching our athletes compete in the Olympics and Paralympics, and how much it means when they produce golden moments that unite and inspire the nation.  

But we believe it’s also important that we win with integrity, that we win with a diverse and inclusive team, and that we use the platform that sporting excellence gives us to create a happier and more connected society. 

That means encouraging sports to create environments that enable athletes to thrive, and it means delivering leadership that inspires and stretches them. It also means there must be a consideration for the mental and physical wellbeing of the athletes we want to see shining on the biggest stages.  

We’re planning to hold more events with the media over the coming months so that, through them, we can keep you informed about the progress our athletes are making in the countdown to Paris, and the work being done by so many people to bring about success next summer. 

As I say, I’m confident that when it comes to Paris, our athletes can win – and they can win well.