The sports receiving funding for the first time in their history water polo, volleyball, handball, synchronised swimming and basketball. “It is for the sports and athletes now to prove by their performances in the next three years that this investment is justified and indeed should be increased as they build up to London 2012,” said Sue Campbell, the chair of UK Sport.

 

“They must also demonstrate they are fit for purpose in handling public funds. Through our funding triggers we will carefully monitor governance and performance issues and withhold funding to any sport not meeting the criteria, whilst offering support to help them get there.”

 

The public investment totals £65.3 million and comes after Chancellor Gordon Brown’s announcement last month to allocate up to £300 million to athlete preparations for London 2012.

 

Summer Olympic sports are to receive an extra £58.8m up to 2008 and summer Paralympic sports will get £6.5m.

 

A total of £17 million will be invested in 2006/07, £23.2 million in 2007/08 and £25.1 million in 2008/09. The funding will be reviewed after the Beijing Olympics. UK Sport performance director Peter Keen said: “These are big carrots but big sticks as well. It is a no-compromise approach, and we will be tough.”

 

British sport, though, has never received such funding. “We have started today a six-year process that will not just deliver medals in 2012 but help transform the high performance system in this country for ever,” said Campbell. “Allocating funding across so many sports is never easy but a decision eventually has to be made about the relative merits of competing demands.”

Olympic Minister Tessa Jowell welcomed the news. “UK Sport have got out of the blocks quickly and shown just how serious we all are in our determination to give the potential medallists of 2012 the maximum possible backing for their ambitions,” she said.

Steve Cram, chairman of the English Institute of Sport, greeted the announcement as
a “unique opportunity” to provide Britain’s athletes and coaches with the world's best support structure.

“This is our chance to leave nothing to chance,” he said. “We need to be single-minded in our efforts to reach our targets for 2012. As an organisation, the EIS is all about helping athletes win medals.

“The announcement of the allocation of additional funding is exactly the type of opportunity we have all been looking for. We are now in the best position possible to deliver what the Institute was created to achieve - daily delivery of world class support to our athletes and coaches.

“It is all extremely timely. The newly streamlined system, in which the EIS works with UK Sport to push performance sport forward, is already in place. Staff from both organisations are working together to make the most of this unique opportunity.

“Support must be integrated, and designed to underpin and enhance performance. Additional resources must be allocated for maximum impact. Look around the world and you will see the stakes have been raised. Many nations are increasing their investment in elite sport. But money, alone, is not the answer. We need to value our knowledge base, and the people who can make small, but significant, gains against global competition.”

 

FULL LIST OF WHAT EACH SPORT WILL RECEIVE

 

Archery
Funding 2006-09: £2,371,000
Percentage increase in 2006/07 on existing award: 66 per cent
Gold medals available: 4
Team GB Max Squad size: 6

 

Athletics
£20,378,000
7 per cent
47
153

 

Badminton
£6,953,000
25 per cent
5
24

 

Basketball
£3,990,000
n/a
2
24

 

Boxing
£4,660,000
337 per cent
11
11

 

Canoeing
£10,789,000
23 per cent
16
28

 

Cycling
£17,494,000
22 per cent
18
28

 

Diving
£4,586,000
15 per cent
8
12

 

Equestrian
£9,618,000
48 per cent
6
15

 

Fencing
£2,719,000
147 per cent
10
18

 

Gymnastics
£7,253,000
32 per cent
18
19

 

Handball
£2,986,000
n/a
2
30

 

Hockey
£8,573,000
112 per cent
2
32

 

Judo
£5,484,000
21 per cent
14
14

 

Modern Pentathlon
£4,658,000
19 per cent
2
4

 

Rowing
£20,049,000
8 per cent
14
49

 

Sailing
£17,194,000
9 per cent
11
18

 

Shooting
£4,817,000
151 per cent
15
31

 

Swimming
£16,699,000
36 per cent
34
68

 

Synchronised Swimming
£1,617,000
n/a
2
9

 

Table Tennis
£2,219,000
129 per cent
4
14

 

Taekwondo
£2,284,000
109 per cent
8
4

 

Triathlon
£3,897,000
4 per cent
2
6

 

Volleyball
£4,040,000
n/a
4
32

 

Water Polo
£3,133,000
n/a
2
26

 

Weightlifting
£1,437,000
87 per cent
15
10

 

Wrestling
£1,992,000
379 per cent
18
18

 

Total £191,890,000

 

Full reaction to the announcement in the next issue of insidethegames, to be published on April 17.