Sports in UK Get Financial Boost, Vancouver Lands Land Sponsor, Ralph Lauren for US Oly Team

Fencing, handball, shooting, volleyball, water polo, weightlifting, and wrestling received additional funding that nearly doubled their original funding.

Visa gave an additional $10.5 million to help minimize an $81 million hole for 2012.

Another $10.5 million came from UK Sport revising its inflation estimates from 3 percent to 1.5 percent. Sports that are expected to produce fewer medals saw their funding decrease.

UK Sport chief executive John Steele says the move represents what is believed “to be the best use of the resources available from a performance perspective.”

“Over the past year it has become clear to UK Sport that key decisions relating to 2012 could not wait until the proposed confirmation at the ‘mid cycle review’ in Autumn 2010,” said Steele.

“So decisions have been brought forward now that maximize stability without impacting on our medal targets, and we can move into 2010 without the burden of a major mid-cycle review.”

Badminton is one of the sports to lose the most money. Although table tennis requested an increase, its funding remained the same.

Ottawa Abandons $9.5 million Olympic Ad

The capital of Canada has abandoned plans for its ad campaign in support of the 2010 Vancouver Games, opting to direct the money for H1N1 measures.

Ottawa was set to spend $9.5 million on an ad campaign for the 2010 Vancouver Games.

“They looked at this and felt that in the government advertising plan, it was a much higher priority to get the H1N1 message out, so that’s where they moved it,” Gary Lunn, Minister of State for Sport said.

The move adds $9.5 million to the $6.1 million H1N1 campaign budget, and lowers the $32 million Olympic campaign budget.

The ads were set to begin in October with the torch relay but did not after the ad contract was canceled.

The federal government is providing nearly $1 billion for the Games.

VANOC Lands Land Sponsor

More than a year after negotiations began, VANOC named Concord Pacific its real estate products and services supplier on Dec. 8.

The $3 million to $15 million deal is primarily for Concord Pacific land surrounding B.C. Place Stadium, General Motors Place and on the shores of False Creek. Most of the space was fenced-off in recent weeks as VANOC prepares overlay for the ceremonies and hockey venues.

"This is a very complicated area of the city," said VANOC CEO John Furlong. "It's very unlike what's happened at many Games you've seen in the past where the Olympic stadium has been built in a very open area with a lot of room around it."

VANOC is creating a horseshoe-shaped zone around the east end of False Creek that includes the Vancouver Olympic Village.

Furlong said there could be "one or two" more sponsors before the Games.

Ralph Lauren Designs Olympic Outfits

Ralph Lauren has designed the uniforms for the U.S. Team to wear at the Opening and Closing Ceremony of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games.

The U.S. Team will wear clothing that was inspired by the 1932 Lake Placid Games. The uniforms will be red, white and blue, representative of the American flag colors.

Ralph Lauren also designed the uniforms that the U.S. Team wore for the Opening and Closing Ceremony in 2008 for the Beijing Olympics.

Briefs …

…United States’ Men’s football fans can purchase tickets for the matchup of the U.S. and England at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa with their Visa cards. Tickets are available through FIFA’s Third Ticket Sales Phase, Dec. 5-Jan. 22, through FIFA’s Tour Operators Program and MATCH Hospitality program.

With reporting from Isia Reaves

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