On Tuesday, 18 December an announcement was made by UK Sport regarding funding. Whilst rowing, cycling, athletics, sailing and swimming fared well, basketball, handball, table tennis, wrestling and indoor volleyball are left to fend for themselves.I wouldn’t be surprised if many people’s reaction to the announcement was ‘tough luck’, but that’s because many people don’t understand what goes into the creation of an international athlete. Whilst Britain was great at getting behind the athletes during the Olympics and cheering them on to success, all they saw was a snapshot of these athlete’s lives.
When the cameras are switched off, there is a phenomenal amount of time and money that goes into an athlete’s development. Equipment, physio, meals, petrol, train fare and kit all have to be paid for somehow, so where are these athletes expected to get the cash from?
According to Sports Minister Hugh Robertson, the sports that lost out on funding ‘have to get themselves to the stage where they have a realistic chance of winning a medal and they will get funding again. It's a simple, performance-based decision.’
In other words, world class performance is expected without world class funding. What a slap in the face. I know some of these athletes personally and hope that they are able to stay encouraged despite the lack of support.
I can’t help but wonder if the athletes were given a false sense of security during the Games but I suppose that doesn’t really matter now. What will matter is how they react to this announcement. Will they crumble, or will they go harder?
