Despite hitting its target of 12 gold medals six days early, sports in which Britain has underperformed, such as athletics, judo, fencing and shooting, are expected to face funding cuts, whilst even sports like swimming, which produced double Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington, will not be immune.
When he was Chancellor, Gordon Brown announced in the 2006 Budget an unprecedented public investment of £500 million in sport for 2012. A further £100 million – split into five annual tranches of £20 million was expected to be provided by the private sector, but the credit crunch and London 2012 have diverted the much-needed cash into other areas.
Ministers have verbally agreed to honour £21 million because UK Sport, which distributes lottery funds to elite athletes, has already spent that. The money is expected to come from cost savings identified by Camelot, the lottery operator, which is already contributing £300 million; £200 million is coming from the taxpayer, meaning that a shortfall of £79 million remains.
Lord Moynihan, chairman of the British Olympic Committee, said that Mr Brown had to reassure athletes that their training would not suffer. “I am hoping he will confirm that there is no doubt that Team GB will be fully funded to the tune of the £600 million that, as Chancellor of the Exchequer, he announced in the Budget two and a half years ago,” he said.
The 2012 grants for athletes will be announced in April.
