Jon Holmes
British Athletics supporting Rainbow Laces campaign at Indoor Championships
Race walker Tom Bosworth hopes message on LGBT inclusion will inspire greater participation in the sport
Last Updated: 16/02/18 3:16pm
British Athletics will show its support for the Rainbow Laces campaign for LGBT inclusion in sport at this weekend's Indoor Championships in Birmingham.
The campaign, run by the charity Stonewall and supported by Sky Sports as part of TeamPride, will be visible throughout the meeting by way of a design on athletes' bibs, and the laces themselves.
Race walker Tom Bosworth, who holds a number of British records, hopes the message sent will reach a wide audience and demonstrate that athletics is a truly inclusive sport.
"As an openly gay athlete, I'm pleased to see British Athletics committing support to the Rainbow Laces campaign as well as continuing to celebrate the diversity of our support," said Bosworth.
"This is another clear message that athletics - either as an elite athlete, club runner or fan - is for everyone. I hope this will inspire people to get involved in the sport and most importantly, create a better environment for success."
UK Athletics chief executive Niels de Vos said: "I'm delighted that UK Athletics is supporting Stonewall's Rainbow Laces campaign at the SPAR British Athletics Indoor Championships and throughout our competing British teams.
"Athletics prides itself on being the most diverse of all sports, so I hope our backing of this campaign will be seen as a signal, not just to athletes but also to all young people starting out in the sport, that UKA supports and encourages all those who compete in athletics regardless of sexual orientation, race, gender or disability."
Robbie de Santos, Stonewall's Head of Campaigns, said: "It's great to see British Athletics lacing up and showing their support for LGBT equality. Stonewall works with a huge range of sports at all levels to show that celebrating diversity, in all its forms, is the easiest way to build a more supportive and high-performing team and a strong, loyal following.
"While wearing Rainbow Laces is a small act, it means a lot to LGBT people, giving a clear indication that they are not only welcome in athletics, but celebrated.
"The message this campaign sends is that anyone involved in athletics can be part of creating a more welcoming environment for LGBT people."
