Brisbane 2032 Olympics: Chelsea Warr may not return to Qld Academy of Sport

Hopes of a renowned ‘gold medal maker’ returning to lead the Queensland Academy of Sport have been dashed by her appointment to the board of another sporting body.

Former Queensland Academy of Sport CEO Chelsea Warr has joined the board of Swimming Australia.

Hopes of gold medal maker Chelsea Warr returning to lead the Queensland Academy of Sport have been dashed by her appointment to the board of Swimming Australia.

Ms Warr was thought to be in the running to return to her role as CEO of the academy when it became a statutory entity later this year.

However such a move is now less likely, with Swimming Australia on Thursday naming Ms Warr to its board of directors for a three-year term.

Ms Warr was contacted for comment.

In announcing her appointment, Swimming Australia promoted Ms Warr’s more than 25 years’ experience in sports strategy, fit-for-purpose governance, design and delivery of systems to drive sporting excellence.

Swimming Australia interim chair Chris Fydler said Ms Warr’s global experience and local connections was a coup, and would ensure the Dolphins continued to be Australia’s most successful Olympic and Paralympic team.

“Chelsea’s wealth of experience in high performance sport and pathways, her in-depth knowledge of transformational change management and strategy into real impact at the frontline made her a unanimous choice and perfect fit for Swimming Australia,” he said.

“Chelsea brings dual insight from two home Games — Sydney 2000 and London 2012 — and this gives her a unique understanding of the scale, opportunity, and legacy that Brisbane 2032 can offer.

“She will bring an invaluable focus on maximising our opportunities leading into the 2032 Brisbane Games as we engage the broader ecosystem to inspire Australia through swimming.”

Ms Warr spent two decades within Great Britain’s high-performance system before taking up the Queensland Academy of Sport CEO role.

There she led the delivery of a 2032 Strategy including coaching programs, Next Gen talent identification strategies and the delivery of enhanced technical services to Queensland’s most promising athletes, before her controversial exit.

Originally published as Brisbane 2032 Olympics: Chelsea Warr may not return to Qld Academy of Sport