2012 Athlete Funding To Be Prioritised

The controversial £79m shortfall in athlete funding planned for the build-up to London 2012 will lead to certain Olympic sports being prioritised unless the money can be found, distributing body UK Sport has warned.

A planned £600m package of athlete funding promised by Prime Minister Gordon Brown for London 2012 is currently short by £79m because of a shortfall from the private sector.

Sports that missed out on medals in Beijing will find out on 2nd December whether they have less funding for 2012 when UK Sport announces its distribution policy.
 
Commented Peter Keen, performance director at UK Sport: ‘If there is a shortfall we will do the things that matter most. We’ll be very clear about the ultimate outcomes: success at the highest level and a legacy of system underneath it that makes sure it is there for the next generation.’

Sports like swimming and cycling, which gained 20 Olympic medals between them for Team GB this year – have already been assured of funding.

But the other governing bodies, including those for hockey and handball, face an anxious wait for UK Sport to announce its decision.

Added Keen: ‘No athlete should go to a start line with the burden of having to win a medal to secure funding. That is a recipe for failure and we know that. The money buys us a place in the race; it doesn’t buy you a single result.

‘That comes from the lives these people lead and the ambition and the drive they have to achieve it.’