Big GB Names Lose Out On Lottery Funding
A number of high-profile GB athletes, including former world champion Phillips Idowu, have lost their lottery funding for 2013/14 after the national governing body for British athletics, UKA, announced the Olympic and Paralympic athletes that it will support through the World Class Performance Programme.
The selection of these athletes is based on their potential to win medals at Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, IAAF World Championships and IPC World Championships.
The WCPP, funded by the National Lottery through UK Sport, has narrowed its criteria this year with funding split into two levels. Only athletes considered realistic medal contenders for the Rio 2016 Olympics are eligible for ‘podium’ funding.
Previously the emphasis had been on the likelihood of making a final, resulting in a smaller crop of 22 athletes on top-level funding, plus 16 on relay funding.
The 44 younger athletes on the lower-level ‘podium potential’ support had to have proved their potential to win a medal in Tokyo in 2020.
In addition, there are 25 Paralympic athletes on podium funding, plus two on relay support, and 23 on podium potential.
Idowu, who won triple jump gold in 2009 in Berlin, took a break from the sport last year and missed the World Championships in Moscow, while fellow former world medallists Andy Turner, Jenny Meadows and Lisa Dobriskey also miss out.
However, the women’s 4x100m relay team have been rewarded for their world bronze, with Ashleigh Nelson, Annabelle Lewis, Hayley Jones and Dina Lewis-Asher joining the funding programme along with Anyika Onuora after the progress they made in the last 12 months following the failure to qualify a team for the 2012 Olympics.
On the Paralympic side, world champion 16 year-old Sophie Hahn gets funding for the first time after her win in the T38 100m at the IPC Athletics World Championships in Lyon in June.
Shelly Woods, who won silver at London 2012, misses out after her World Championships were hampered by illness, but will reportedly appeal the decision.
The wheelchair marathon star tweeted on Monday: ‘Very disappointed to hear @BritAthletics have decided not to fund me on the @uk-sport world class performance programme. #nothappy.’
British Athletics performance director Neil Black said: ‘Our immediate focus is firmly on medals in 2016, followed by London 2017 when we will host both the IAAF and IPC World Athletics Championships.’
‘From there attention shifts to Tokyo 2020. Our selections absolutely reflect that focus.’
‘2013 was an excellent year for the British team across both the Olympic and Paralympic programmes. I’m confident 2014 will bring further success in what will be another extremely busy indoor and outdoor season.’
‘The support from the National Lottery via UK Sport enables our athletes to work with the best coaches and support staff and prepare at the best facilities and training camps to ensure they perform to the highest achievable standards.’
Podium programmes
Olympic: Holly Bleasdale, Lawrence Clarke, James Dasaolu, Hannah England, Jessica Ennis-Hill, Mo Farah, Adam Gemili, Robbie Grabarz, Dai Greene, Sophie Hitchon, Katarina Johnson-Thompson, Christine Ohuruogu, Andrew Osagie, Tiffany Porter, Andy Pozzi, Shara Proctor, Greg Rutherford, Perri Shakes-Drayton, William Sharman, Chris Tomlinson, Laura Weightman, Nathan Woodward.
Paralympic: Ola Abidogun, Hollie Arnold, Graeme Ballard, Paul Blake, Jonathan Broom-Edwards, Mickey Bushell, Libby Clegg , Hannah Cockroft, Aled Davies, David Devine, Kyron Duke, Dan Greaves, Sophie Hahn, Beverley Jones, Sophie Kamlish, Stephen Miller, Jonnie Peacock, Josie Pearson, Gemma Prescott, Stefanie Reid, Nathan Stephens, David Weir, Richard Whitehead, Rob Womack, Bethany Woodward
Relay:
Mens 4x100m: Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, James Ellington
Women’s 4x100m – Dina Asher-Smith, Hayley Jones, Annabelle Lewis, Ashleigh Nelson, Anyika Onuora
Men’s 4x400m – Michael Bingham, Jamie Bowie, Jack Green, Nigel Levine, Martyn Rooney, Conrad Williams,
Women’s 4x400m: Margaret Adeoye, Eilidh Child, Shana Cox
Paralympic relay: Katrina Hart, Jenny McLoughlin
Podium Potential programmes
Olympic: Meghan Beesley, David Bolarinwa, Dan Bramble, Lucy Bryan, Ashley Bryant, Katie Byres, Chris Clarke, Luke Cutts, Mark Dry, Zane Duquemin, James Gladman, Emelia Gorecka, Charlie Grice, Abigail Irozuru, JJ Jegede, Jessica Judd, Richard Kilty, Jade Lally, Eilish McColgan, Sophie McKinna, Mukhtar Mohammed, Brett Morse, Laura Muir, Ross Murray, Chris O’Hare, Asha Philip , Isobel Pooley, Julian Reid, Leon Reid, Andrew Robertson, Sebastian Rodger, Jazmin Sawyers, James Shane, Lynsey Sharp, Allan Smith, Serita Solomon, Gemma Steel, Danny Talbot, Deji Tobais, Lorraine Ugen, Chijindu Ujah, Bianca Williams, Delano Williams, Jodie Williams.
Paralympic: Joshua Bain, Olivia Breen, Jamie Carter, Josh Clark, Meggan Dawson-Farrell, Jordan Howe, Jade Jones, Rhys Jones, Andy Kaar, Samantha Kinghorn, Erin McBride, Dean Miller, Maxine Moore, Stephen Morris, Holly Neill, Mel Nicholls, Georgina Oliver, Stephen Osborne, Ben Rowlings, Will Smith, Laura Sugar, Isaac Towers, Kieran Tscherniawsky.
