London 2012 rowing gold medallist Dame Katherine Grainger has been elected chair of the British Olympic Association (BOA).

The 49-year-old, who is also a four-time Olympic silver medallist, becomes the organisation’s first female chair in its 119-year history and succeeds Sir Hugh Robertson in the position.

Grainger has been working as chair of elite sports funding body UK Sport.

“It is a huge honour to be elected chair of the BOA as the Olympics has been central to my life for nearly 30 years,” Grainger said.

“As an athlete I felt first-hand the incredible influence and impact sport has on people’s lives. During my time as chair of UK Sport, I have learned the power of collaboration as part of this impressive ecosystem that enables Olympic sport to flourish in the UK, and so I look forward to embarking on this next chapter with the BOA.”

Grainger is the only British woman to win a medal at five successive Olympic Games stretching back to Sydney in 2000 and culminating in a silver at Rio 2016.

Her gold medal in the 2012 double sculls came alongside Anna Watkins.