Bobsleigh and short-track are among the sports to have had their direct funding axed for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic cycle, but Elise Christie has been given the opportunity to go it alone.
Christie will benefit from a medal support plan worth in the region of £500,000 as she bids to put her Pyeongchang calamity behind her and finally claim an elusive first Olympic medal.
UK Sport has announced £24million in winter sports funding which will be spread between ski and snowboard, skeleton, curling, and para ski and snowboard.
“Today marks an important step on the path to Beijing 2022 as we target further inspirational success at the Winter Games.”
We have today announced our funding plan for the Beijing Winter Olympic and Paralympic cycle ⬇️https://t.co/jF0ExjAD6S
— UK Sport (@uk_sport) July 2, 2018
The total is £8m short of the funding for Pyeongchang – at which the Great Britain team secured a record-breaking five medals – but does not account for a new co-funding programme and transition funding, from which the axed sports will benefit.
UK Sport chief executive Liz Nicholl said: “While UK Sport would like to be able to invest in every Olympic and Paralympic sport, our role is to prioritise within agreed resources in order to protect and enhance the medal potential within the system.
“We believe these strategic investments will deliver medal winning success to inspire the nation once again in Beijing in 2022.”
As a programme we are gutted to announce that our support from @uk_sport has come to an end. As a team we will be working hard to figure out our next steps. We’d like to thank everyone especially @uk_sport for everything they have done for us up to this point! ?
— Elise christie (@Elise_Christie) July 2, 2018
Skeleton, ski and snowboard and curling will see their funding figures raised to £7.2m, £6.75m and £6.35m respectively, while para ski and snowboard will receive £3.5m.
Bobsleigh, short-track – Christie notwithstanding – and wheelchair curling are the three sports that will have their direct funding removed, although they will share an estimated £1.5m pot for transition funding.
Great Britain’s bobsleigh programme was plagued by controversy in the build-up to Pyeongchang, with only Mica McNeill – who crowd-funded her trip to the Games – finishing in the top 10.
Meanwhile, Christie said she would consider her options given the effective moth-balling of GB’s elite short-track programme in Nottingham – which could include a move to train with a team abroad.
Christie, who has already committed to targeting a third Games despite her painful experience in Pyeongchang, said: “I am gutted for our sport, we have a fantastic team and great successes particularly in the past two years.
“We’ll be working on a plan moving forward in the coming weeks, I don’t know exactly how that will look right now.”
