Team England has appointed Francesca Carter-Kelly as Chef de Mission to lead the team to the next Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad and Tobago in 2021.

Francesca is currently Team England’s Head of Performance and Sport Engagement, which involves working closely with National Governing Bodies to ensure the team and athletes are best supported in the lead up to and at the Games. The announcement as Chef de Mission follows her leadership in the same role for Team Great Britain at the Winter World University Games in Russia earlier this year.

That step-up followed her achievements at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, Australia, when Francesca oversaw the development and delivery of Team England’s preparation camp.

As Chef de Mission, Francesca will be responsible for the smooth operation of the team and creating a supportive environment for young athletes to fulfil their potential.

The 2021 Commonwealth Youth Games will take place in Trinidad and Tobago in the summer of 2021 and will be the seventh edition of the multi-sport event. In 2017, Team England finished top of the medal with 51 medals in total, coming home from the Bahamas with 23 gold medals, 16 silver and 12 bronze.

Francesca said:

“I’m very excited and honoured to be asked to lead the team. The Commonwealth Youth Games has always provided an opportunity for athletes to get their first taster of multi-sport events.

“We’ll be looking out for our future sports stars – Dina Asher-Smith is one athlete who has competed at a Commonwealth Youth Games and gone on to achieve fantastic success, so we’ll be watching out for future talent.”

Commonwealth Games England CEO, Paul Blanchard, said:

“Francesca did a fantastic job in delivering our incredibly successful preparation camp in Brisbane ahead of the Games and we believe that she will do a similarly excellent job in Trinidad and Tobago.

“She has a very strong affinity with athletes and I believe she will excel in her role at the Youth Games, creating the best possible environment for Team England to perform.” 

 Francesca will report into CEO, Paul Blanchard, and will begin preparations for the Commonwealth Youth Games alongside her current role with Team England.