UK Sport, the nation’s high performance sports agency, today confirmed an extra £2.3 million investment into Olympic and Paralympic sports as a result of its Annual Investment Review, as it looks to protect and enhance medal potential at next year’s Games in Rio de Janeiro.
The additional funds include a £135,814 investment in Wheelchair Fencing, who re-join the World Class Programme after making a compelling case to UK Sport to support Piers Gilliver, who has demonstrated medal potential for Rio through his performances over the past year. The sports receiving an increase in their existing investment at this point in the cycle are Boccia, Disability Shooting, Fencing, Para-Archery, Para-Triathlon, Powerlifting and Shooting, while Badminton’s investment has been reduced slightly due to rebalancing of the programme.
This increases the number of British sports bidding for medals in Rio 2016 and/or Tokyo 2020, with the backing of £350 million National Lottery and Exchequer funding from UK Sport, to 20 Olympic and 18 Paralympic sports, as they seek to improve on the medal haul at London 2012.
UK Sport CEO, Liz Nicholl, said: "We wouldn’t expect to make any major changes to our investments at this stage in the cycle, but it is important we are able to review annually in order to be responsive to the competitive environment and to protect and enhance medal potential where additional funds can make a difference.
"Rio is going to be another fantastic opportunity to make the nation proud, and our sports and athletes are rising to the challenge.
"I’d like to thank all the Great British National Lottery players for continuing to support our athletes on their road to Rio and beyond."
Minister for Sport, Helen Grant, said: "I welcome UK Sport’s announcement which will see 38 sports benefitting from National Lottery and Government funding. It’s fantastic to see Wheelchair Fencing re-joining UK Sport’s World Class Programme, and others making strong cases for increased investment for the Rio cycle. Overall sports performed well in 2014, and I look forward to seeing them thrive in 2015 as the road to the Rio Games enters the home straight."
The Annual Investment Review takes into consideration sports’ achievements in their milestone events in 2014 and any changes to medal opportunities at the Rio 2016 Games, as well as progress in crucial areas off the field of play, such as leadership, structure and governance.
Analysis of the 2014 competition season showed that sports remain in a good position for success in Rio 2016, where Olympic sports achieved their combined target of 91-120 medals across all sports by winning 115 medals overall in milestone events (World Championships and non-world level), and Paralympic sports exceeded their combined target of 106-152, winning 163 medals (World Championships and non-world level) in total.
For further information, please contact the UK Sport Press Office:
Paul Cox, Head of Communications: paul.cox@uksport.gov.uk
Jess Whitehorn, Senior Press Officer: jessica.whitehorn@uksport.gov.uk
Grace Cullen, Press Officer: grace.cullen@uksport.gov.uk
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