SPARC high performance manager Martin Toomey said the investment decisions support the goal of more New Zealanders winning on the world stage.

 

He said: “Priority has been given to sports with the greatest chance of success.

 

"We have had to be uncompromising in applying criteria based on past performance and the likelihood of future success.

 

“It is encouraging to see national sports organisations have across the board significantly improved their planning and sharpened their focus on raising standards for elite athletes.

 

“This investment supports SPARC’s high performance strategy aimed at creating depth rather than breadth at the elite level.

 

"This approach paid off in Beijing and I firmly believe it will produce results in London."

 

Under the High Performance Strategy 2006-2012 New Zealand is targeting at least 10 medals for the London Olympics.

 

The targeted investment is part of an overall high performance investment programme of approximately NZ$35 million (£12.4 million) per year.

 

In the Beijing Olympics last year New Zealand finished 26th overall with nine medals, including three gold, their best performance since the Barcelona Games in 1992 and meeting their target of winning between eight and 10 medals.

 

But, based on an alternative table of medals won according to the size of a country's population, New Zealand finished fourth behind Bahamas, Jamaica and Slovenia.

 

New Zealand spent NZ$65 million (£24.7 million) on high performance sport between Athens and Beijing, nearly £2 million less than UK Sport spent on athletics alone in Britain.

 

The latest funding levels are locked in for the next two years, after which a mid-term review against the various high performance plans will be conducted.

 

Funding levels will be maintained for the following two years though to 2012 if targets are being met.

 

Toomey says while it is encouraging that investment levels are higher than they were in the last Olympic cycle, there are pressures on the national sports organisations such as falling exchange rates and increasing costs of competing overseas.

 

Other components of the investment programme include; high performance funding to other national sports organisation under the contestable investment process (NZ$4.8 million [£1.7 million]) - announced in December 2008; performance enhancement grants direct to athletes and coaches ($5.5 million [£1.9 million]); Prime Ministers sports scholarship programme (NZ$4.25 million [£1.5 million]) - announced January 2009; high performance support, such as technology, research, innovation, talent transfer (NZ$2 million [£700,000]) and New Zealand Academy of Sport athlete and coach support programme (NZ$ 5.7 million [£2 million]).

 

The Awards announced today are as follows

 

Athletics NZ$5.2 million (£1.8 million)

 

Bike NZ$12.0 million (£4.2 million)

 

Rowing NZ$12.0 million (£4.2 million)

 

Swimming NZ$5.4 million (£1.9 million)

 

Triathlon NZ$4.8 million (£1.7 million)

 

Yachting NZ$8.6 million (£3 million)