Water polo funding doubled by UK Sport

BRITISH SWIMMING has seen its water polo funding for the London 2012 Olympics doubled by UK Sport.

BOOST: Water polo handed an additional £1.45m while other aquatics funding has been confirmed

Water polo saw their funding slashed last year - from the £3.15 million that supported the Beijing Olympic cycle to a mere £1.45m for London.

But UK Sport have handed the sport an additional £1.45m - taking its total to £2.9m - through its VISA-supported Team 2012 initiative and adjustments to funding awards.

The investment will support the men's team as they continue their preparations abroad while the women's programme will continue in Manchester but again with additional support.

And all fully-funded sports will receive a 1.5% inflationary rise in their funding.

"This announcement is great news for British Water Polo.  The teams will receive an additional £1.45m as they continue to develop as an international force," said British Swimming chief executive David Sparkes.

 "It's a welcome investment for water polo which recognises the tremendous improvements both the men's and women's teams have made this year.

"We will now be able to ask our athletes to prepare for the London Olympics full-time, without the need to supplement their careers through other work.

"Overall we think today's announcement is great news to support the hard work taking place within the aquatic disciplines."

UK Sport also confirmed the funding figures for all other aquatic sports for London 2012 - with swimming, synchronised swimming and diving receiving £25.61m, £3.46m and £6.66m respectively.

 "British Swimming welcomes the confirmation of figures for our sports which enables us to focus on performance in 2012 and provides the stability we need to achieve our collective goals," added Sparkes.

 "We are currently in discussions with the British Olympic Association in regard to all the Olympic qualifying standards but we now envisage, through this funding, that water polo will be part of the largest aquatics team we've ever had at an Olympics as we continue on an upwards trajectory."