Nicholl, currently the chief operating officer at UK Sport, was the overwhelming choice of the six candidates that were short-listed out of the 50 applicants for the role following the decision in June of Steele to resign and become chief executive at the Rugby Football Union (RFU).

But her appointment still has to be formally approved by Jeremy Hunt, the Secretary of State of Culture, Media and Sport.

He has had Nicholl's name for several weeks but ratification has been delayed by the summer holidays and Hunt's involvement in England's bid to host the 2018 World Cup, which included being closely involved in the recent visit to the country by the FIFA inspection team.

It is second time lucky for Nicholl, who was short-listed to replace Richard Callicott after he resigned in 2003 but who was ultimately pipped to the post by Steele.

Nicholl, capped 22 times by Wales as a wing attack, was formerly chief executive of English Netball for 16 years and has been at UK Sport since 1999.

As the Director of Elite Sport until the start of 2009, she played a leading role in the changing face of the elite sport system in the UK which culminated in Britain finishing fourth at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing with a record total of 47 medals, 19 of them gold.

In her current role Nicholl leads the work overseeing UK Sport’s overall investment, governance and operational relationships with national governing bodies and other sports partners.

She is also responsible for the World Class Events programme, ensuring that it dovetails closely with the wider performance strategy.

Nicholl works alongside Peter Keen, Director of Performance supporting the active delivery of Mission 2012 and UK Sport’s performance ambitions and leads on the M2012 Paralympic strategy.

The Olympics and Paralympics will be foremost in her thoughts but Nicholl will also have to manage the Coalition Government's controversial proposals to merge UK Sport, Sport England and the Youth Sport Trust post-2012.

UK Sport refused to confirm Nicholl's appointment when contacted by insidethegames.

They said: "The process to find a new chief executive to replace John Steele is still on-going."

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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