2012 funding cuts confirmed for eight Olympic sports

EIGHT Olympic sports have seen their funding slashed - putting into serious doubt their plans for a home Olympics in 2012.

FEEDING OFF SCRAPS: Eight Olympic sports feel the force of the £50m UK Sport funding shortfall (Getty Images)

After December's initial funding allocation by UK Sport, only £11.2 million remained to be divided among the unlucky eight, with cuts a near certainty following a £50m private sector short fall.

Until now those sports were left in limbo, but as expected UK Sport have revealed significant cuts, leaving their 2012 hopes hanging by a thread with four-year shoestring budgets.

---

REACTION: British water polo fury at funding cut

REACTION: British Shooting left licking their wounds after UK Sport funding cuts

---

Water polo is one of the worst hit sports, with a 50 per cent cut ensuring £1.45m must stretch across four years for both teams.

While the women's team have showed recent signs they could be a competitive force in London, the men have floundered and today's cut puts the penultimate nail in their coffin.

British Shooting will also have to significantly downscale, despite the fact that they brought home one of GB's 11 gold medals from Sydney 2000.

And handball, which has received £2.99m over the last three years will have to make do with £1.448m over the next four, a similar fate to table tennis which has also had 50 per cent cut.

---

REACTION: Table tennis chief livid at UK Sport treatment

REACTION: British No.1 Breeze forced to consider her future

---

 

UK Sport have attempted to appease the cash-strapped sports by paying the lump sum up front, rather than spreading it across the four years before London 2012.

And while UK Sport chair Sue Campbell admits it was a difficult decision to make, she reiterated the necessity for Great Britain to maximise their medal-winning potential with 2012 in mind.

"It was vital that, having successfully targeted our medal prospects, we also maximized the chances of every sport for London 2012 within our limited resources," she said. 

"While a risk, I believe that the flexible and performance orientated approach we have announced today does just that, with the potential two-year front loading of the award giving everyone the chance to stay in the race.

"I would pay tribute to the sports involved for the approach they have taken, and we are committed to doing everything we can to continue to support their efforts.

"The past few months have not been easy for anyone, and the decisions we have taken have been tough. 

"But I firmly believe we have done the best we can to deliver for all sports whilst remaining true to our core responsibility of driving medal success, that was seen to deliver so well in Beijing."

Other sports to have lost out include volleyball, which will have £1.754m to play with instead of the £4.11m it had prior to Beijing, while weightlifting will only have £717,000 - 57.6 per cent less than their 2008 budget.

And fencing will have to make do with just £1.26m, instead of the £3.07m received for the last Olympic cycle.

---

REACTION: Fencing chief Watts looks on the bright side

REACTION: President Callicott claims volleyball was under-cut by UK Sport

---

News of the funding cuts, which were widely expected, will disappoint the British Olympic Association - who were keen that as hosts Britain should send competitive teams to all sports.

"The British Olympic Association (BOA) is disappointed that eight of the Olympic sports cannot be fully funded through to the London 2012 Olympic Games at this time," said chief executive Andy Hunt

"However, the BOA is working together with UK Sport, Locog, British Paralympic Association and Department of Culture, Media and Sport to find a solution to the problem.”

Andy Burnham, secretary of state for culture, media and sport, added: "There is an unprecedented level of public investment - more than £300m - going into the London cycle, and this will be supplemented by a new private sector funding stream which will be a permanent legacy of the Games.

"We are entering a new phase of this work, in partnership with UK Sport, Locog, the BOA, the BPA and Fast Track, and hope to finalise proposals shortly. We encourage businesses to support our athletes as they prepare for medal success."

Sport	Beijing 2008 budget	London 2012 budget	Percentage decrease
Handball	£2.99m	£1.448m	-51.6
Table Tennis	£2.52m	£1.207m	-52.3
Water Polo	£3.15m	£1.45m	-54.0
Volleyball	£4.11m	£1.754m	-57.3
Weightlifting	£1.69m	£0.717m	-57.6
Fencing	£3.07m	£1.26m	-59.0
Wrestling	£2.13m	£0.68m	-68.1
Shooting	£5.06m	£1.226m	-75.8

GERARD MEAGHER