UK Sport has given most Olympic and Paralympic sports more money for this four-year cycle, but athletics is not one of them.
Athletics has received an eight per cent cut from UK Sport’s funding for the Los Angeles 2028 Games.
Although Great Britain secured 10 athletics medals at the Paris Olympics, the biggest total in athletics since 1984, funding will be cut from £22.2m to £20.5m.
Keely Hodgkinson, the favorite to win tomorrow’s BBC Sports Person of the Year, was crowned Olympic 800m champion in Paris and became Great Britain’s first track and field gold medalist since Jessica Ennis-Hill in London 2012.
Each of the five relay teams also won medals in the French capital.
UK Sport has committed a record £330 million to the Great Britain team for the Los Angeles 2028 Games, with 44 of the 46 sports receiving the same amount or more over the four-year period.
Kelly Hodgkinson (Getty)
Athletics and rowing are the only two sports to have their funding cut.
Rowing received the biggest increase, seeing its funding increase from £22.7m to £24.9m.Cycling and sailing, with £30.13m and £23.95m, also performed well.
“We’re disappointed that we didn’t get the set-up we expected from British sport for the Olympics,” said Jack Buckner, chief executive of UK Athletics.
“We felt the progress we had made over the last few years, culminating in 10 medals at both the World Championships and Olympics, not to mention the wholesale improvements in governance, and our events and business model deserved a higher level of investment.
“Unfortunately, UK Sport has not been able to convince us of the nature of our case. Although our budget will be tighter for the next four years, we will continue to build momentum and find ways to support athletes to fulfill their potential at major championships. We can assure you.” to the many wonderful athletes, coaches and volunteers in our absolute commitment to supporting your aspirations to succeed in our sport.”
Jack Buckner (Getty)
However, UK Sport chief executive Sally Munday insisted UK Athletics’ total grant, after taking into account the £9.8m from the Paralympics, would be around £30m.
“I’m responsible for public money so we wouldn’t have given them £30m (if it was a rebuke to British athletics),” he said. . If they were on a naughty move, we wouldn’t have given them £30m.
“You can walk away without a doubt that we support this sport (athletics) and we give them the money that we think will enable them to succeed.”
In October, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced a 10% increase in UK Sport funding to support British athletes in the lead-up to Los Angeles 2028.
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