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Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

Part of Stay Ahead of the Games UK in Australia

18th April 2012

100 days to go

Australia was one of the first places in the world to mark the “100 days to go” to the London Olympics.  I joined some of the 400 Australian athletes who will be competing in London and Australian Olympic Committee representatives, for a colourful event at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre in Queensland.

High Commissioner Paul Madden with Australian Olympic swimmers Chris Wright and Melanie Schlanger at the 100 days to go event at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre in Queensland
High Commissioner Paul Madden with Australian Olympic swimmers Chris Wright and Melanie Schlanger at the 100 days to go event at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre in Queensland

The media were out in force: it’s slightly humiliating appearing alongside Olympic athletes at the peak of physical condition with their finely honed bodies.

In my speech I said London was ready to welcome the world for a spectacular Games.  The infrastructure was in place, the organisation in great shape, and the British people ready to offer a huge welcome to the athletes and spectators.  The Games are going to leave a great legacy, both physical infrastructure like Olympic Park; the new stadium,velodrome, aquatic centre and the athletes village which will become new homes; and the human legacy in terms of inspiring many more young people to participate in sport.  I noted that our International Inspiration programme had already touched 12 million young people in 20 countries.

Legendary Australian swimming coach Laurie Lawrence stirred up the traditional Australian/British Olympic rivalry.  He told his athletes that the Poms were the ones to beat.  I agreed that there were going to be some great battles between our teams in events like cycling, rowing and swimming.  I described the bet between our Sport and Olympics Minister Hugh Robertson and Australian Sports Minister Kate Lundy, which will see the loser forced to wear the opposing team’s colours.

Then we heard from some of the individual athletes like Chris Wright (butterfly), Tom Pichler (gymnastics) and Rachel Lowell (kayak – who used to compete for Great Britain, but has now has now settled here).  They talked about how much they were looking forward to competing in London, and described the dedication and hard work which had got them to this point.  Some of the Australian swim team joined local school children in a fun 100m relay race.  Well I say fun, but these guys can’t help being competitive.  This was one of over one hundred 100m events taking place all around the world today to mark 100 days to go.

About Paul Madden

Paul Madden has been the British Ambassador to Japan from January 2017. He was Additional Director for Asia Pacific at the FCO in 2015.He was British High Commissioner to Australia…

Paul Madden has been the British Ambassador to Japan from January 2017.

He was Additional Director for Asia Pacific at the FCO in 2015.He was British High Commissioner to Australia until February 2015. Prior to this he was British High Commissioner in Singapore from 2007-2011.

A career diplomat, he was previously Managing Director at UK Trade and Investment (2004-2006), responsible for co-ordinating and
implementing international trade development strategies to support
companies across a wide range of business sectors.

As Assistant Director of Information at the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office (2003-2004) he was responsible for public diplomacy policy,
including managing the FCO funding of the BBC World Service, the British
Council and the Chevening Scholarships programme. He led the team
responsible for the award-winning UK pavilion at the Aichi Expo in Japan
2005.

He was Deputy High Commissioner in Singapore from 2000-2003 and has
also served in Washington (1996-2000) and Tokyo (1988-92). Between
1992-96 he worked on EU enlargement and Environmental issues at the FCO
in London.

Before joining FCO he worked at the Department of Trade and Industry
(1980-87) on a range of industrial sectors and trade policy, including
two years as a minister’s Private Secretary.

He has an MA in Economic Geography from Cambridge University, an MBA
from Durham University, studied Japanese at London University’s School
of Oriental and African Studies, and is a Fellow of the Royal
Geographical Society. His first book, Raffles: Lessons in Business
Leadership, was published in 2003.

Married to Sarah, with three children, he was born in 1959, in Devon.

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100 days to go athletes australia Gold Coast olympics