Swimming Takes Funding Hit for Rio 2016

Swimming’s below par performance at the London 2012 Olympics has resulted in their budget being slashed for the Rio de Janeiro Games in 2016 with rowing and boxing being the major winners in UK Sport’s latest investment announcement.

UK Sport announced on Tuesday that a record level of £347m funding – an increase of 11% on London 2012 – will be invested in the new four-year cycle with 80% of that heading for Olympic sports and 20% for the Paralympians.

It is a huge, albeit not unexpected, blow for the swimmers, who have been hit for their disappointing haul of three medals in the summer having been set a target of five to seven.

They have already had three years of funding withheld until it can prove its new blueprint to increase numbers is working. Their budget has been reduced by £4m to £21.4m.

UK sport chairperson Sue Campbell said: “It isn’t about being popular. It’s about making the right decisions. It’s about tough compassion, investing money strategically to have greatest the impact.”

Two big beneficiaries are rowing and boxing. GB’s rowers will receive 19% extra money – up to £32.6m – having impressed with four golds, two silvers and three bronzes.

Boxing’s purse will be bulging by an extra 44% with an increase to £13.7m thanks to five medals, including three golds, though £9.55m is conditional on sport sorting out some internal issues.

Cycling (up 16% to £30.6m) and athletics (up 6.7% to £26.8m) also enjoyed increases, although basketball, wrestling, handball and table tennis have had their budgets completely cut.

With GB’s athletes winning 65 medals in the Olympics and 120 in the

Paralympics, UK Sport has targeted 66 Olympic medals and 121 Paralympic medals in Brazil in four years.

“We want to be the first nation in recent history to be more successful in the Olympics and Paralympics post hosting,” UK Sport chief executive Liz Nicholl said.

“We are very confident we can be even better in Rio than in London.”