Snowsport GB chief plays down funding crisis for British stars

By Gerard Meagher, Sportsbeat

SNOWSPORT GB chairman Oliver Jones has hit back at claims Britain's winter sports stars are under-funded and insists no-one who warrants a place at Vancouver 2010 will miss out.

ON TRACK: Snowsport GB chief Oliver Jones believes GB athletes like Chemmy Alcott will do fine in Vancouver despite funding problems

At present, Snowsport GB are operating on a budget of £1.1m, £225,000 of which comes from government funding.

Their financial position is notably improved however, on that of a few months ago when debts of approximately £300,000 were reported by acting chief executive Robin Kellen in August.

Those debts contributed to the sacking of then chief executive Mark Simmers, while athlete funding was suspended in May and July.

Jones and Kellen have since arranged a four-year, £350,000 loan with a variety of backers and with the support of lead sponsor British Land but some athletes are still struggling to make ends meet.

But Jones is adamant success at next February's Winter Olympics is ultimately down to the athletes' performances and refused to pin the blame on London 2012 and summer sports taking priority.

"Any funding that we get from central government is marvellous and we must know that we are a winter sport, we're grateful for what we receive," said Jones.

"The funding we receive from central government has decreased since three years ago but that is only to be expected in the current economic climate.

"The greatest challenge for us is to work with our elite athletes and get them to realise that it's very hard raising money. We must continue to work as best we can with private sponsorship.

"There will be no athletes who won't go to Vancouver because of the funding we've had.  There was never any problem with that.

"The elite athletes will always be supported. It's the most inspirational moment of their sporting lives when they go to the Olympics.

"But ultimately it will be the athletes themselves that will be responsible for whether they win or lose.   At the end of the day it will be down to their own performance and I believe we will have a very good Games [in Vancouver].

"The temptation is to say that the London 2012 Olympics will take all the attention and the majority of the finances but I for one am a massive fan of the Olympic movement.

"The London Games will benefit all sport in this country, summer and winter.   In the long run it's a wonderful opportunity."

Great Britain have yet to capture a snow sport Olympic medal, but came mighty close in 2002, when alpine skier Alain Baxter finished third in the giant slalom competition, only to be stripped of his medal for failing a drugs test.

Baxter did prove he had taken the banned substance unwittingly via an over-the-counter nasal inhaler and while his name was cleared by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the International Olympic Committee refused to hand back the medal.

But that performance remains somewhat of an anomaly and while Jones would love to see Great Britain fighting it out with the snow sport powerhouses, he is only too aware of the need to be realistic.

"If we were up there consistently with the likes of the USA etc. it would be ideal, but it is probably unrealistic," he said.

"That is not to say that if the individuals get their preparations right and their performances right then the likes of Chemmy Alcott, Zoe Gillings and Ed Drake cannot compete with the best.

"We are seeing more and more British skiers based in France and I believe it won't be long before we get our first medal or Olympic champion."