UK Sport urged to change funding model for Olympics and Paralympics

The governing bodies of 12 British sports have demanded an end to a funding policy that puts Olympic medals above all else.

Describing the current model as “divisive”, the bodies – which include Badminton England and GB Wheelchair Rugby – have called on UK Sport to apply “at least a baseline level of funding” to all Olympic and Paralympic sports.

In a letter to the Guardian the 12 also challenge UK Sport’s current consultation on future strategy. “It seems designed to create fear that there will be a total collapse of the UK medal tally should the current funding model be meddled with,” it read.

“We believe that giving many millions of pounds to some sports but none to others is divisive and will prove self-defeating. We think the British public believes in fairness and equality of opportunity, and the best way to achieve this is to provide at least a baseline level of funding to all Olympic and Paralympic sports. We are confident that this can be achieved without sacrificing current medal success.”

Great Britain has enjoyed unprecedented success at the Olympic Games since the no-compromise approach to funding was introduced in 2004. At Rio 2016 Team GB won 27 gold medals and finished second in the table. In so doing they also became the first country to improve their medal tally at five consecutive Games.

This success has accompanied a narrowing of funding, however. While 70% of Olympic and Paralympic sports were funded at London 2012, less than 50% are expected to receive public money before Tokyo 2020.

None of the 12 bodies that signed the letter to the Guardian will be funded during that cycle. While the group argue that a new approach need not be at the expense of medals, they also make the case for changing the criteria upon which funding is based. “UK Sport has a responsibility to ensure that all our Olympic and Paralympic athletes are encouraged to achieve their potential and that a system of development opportunities should be there for all of them”, the group argue. “The popularity and levels of participation of a given sport are key to inspiring a nation and must be considered when funding decisions are made,” the bodies argued.

UK Sport launched a public consultation on post-Tokyo funding this month, asking respondents to consider how funding can contribute to the government’s current sports strategy of “using high-performance sport to promote inspiration, participation, economic growth and social impacts such as on physical and mental health in society”. Its board will announce its decision in ‘early 2019’ and any changes will be implemented by April 2021.

The 12 signatories were: Archery GB, Badminton England, Baseball, Softball UK, British Fencing, British Handball, GB Luge, GB Wheelchair Rugby, Table Tennis England, British Volleyball, British Weightlifting and British Wrestling.