UK Sport to Invest $418 Million for LA 2028, Athletics and Canoeing Face Funding Cuts
UK Sport announced a significant investment of £330 million ($418 million) into Olympic and Paralympic sports to prepare for the 2028 Los Angeles Games, though the funding allocation has seen cuts for athletics and canoeing.
Despite Britain’s strong showing at the Paris Olympics, where they secured 10 medals in athletics and finished seventh in the athletics medal table, the budget for the sport has been reduced. Britain’s sole gold medal in athletics came through Keely Hodgkinson in the women’s 800 metres.
Funding Adjustments
The new funding strategy will see:
- Athletics receive £20.5 million for LA 2028, a reduction from £22.2 million allocated for Paris.
- Canoeing funding reduced by over £500,000, bringing it to £12.5 million for the next Olympic cycle.
UK Sport’s Focus on Potential
UK Sport Chief Executive Sally Munday defended the funding adjustments, emphasizing a performance-based evaluation process.
“The decision that we’ve made against all the sports is we’ve looked at their potential,” Munday told the BBC on Monday.
She added that UK Athletics will still receive over £30 million when combining both Olympic and Paralympic programmes, ensuring that the sport has the resources to adequately prepare its athletes for success in Los Angeles.
“We believe that’s going to put them in a great place to support their athletes in the lead into LA,” Munday stated.
Strategic Investment for Success
The overall investment reflects the UK’s commitment to maintaining competitiveness on the global stage, especially after a successful Paris 2024 campaign. UK Sport continues to prioritize funding based on medal potential while balancing resources across various sports.
With preparations underway for LA 2028, the funding decisions highlight the challenges of aligning investment with performance expectations and future success.
Exchange Rate: ($1 = £0.7890).
