High Performance Funding Decisions Announced

Media Release

High Performance Funding Decisions Announced

Rowing, bike, equestrian and Paralympics will get significant increases in high performance investment, as New Zealand’s leading sports reap the benefits of the Government’s big boost to funding.

The unprecedented increase in funding was announced in June this year, and underlined the Government’s commitment to giving athletes the resources and support they needed to achieve their goals.

Sport and Recreation New Zealand (SPARC) has today announced a $3.8 million increase on 2010 levels in core high performance investment in 2011, to help get New Zealand athletes on the podium at the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games.

This means total investment in 2011 in the high performance programmes of national sport organisations will be $27.4m. In addition to this, SPARC also invests in Performance Enhancement Grants, Prime Minister’s Sport Scholarships and the New Zealand Academy of Sport, which brings total high performance investment to approximately $45m a year.

SPARC General Manager High Performance Martin Toomey says the increased investment recognises sports which have performed well and are on track to meet their next performance goals, as well as those which have an increased number of medal potential athletes in their high performance programmes.

``Our cyclists and rowers are two of New Zealand sport’s big success stories and we’re delighted to be able to announce significant increases next year and in 2012 to their high performance programmes as their athletes focus on achieving results at the London Olympics,’’ Toomey says.

SPARC has made its investment in two sports subject to conditions while issues are resolved.

Toomey says SPARC’s investment in swimming is conditional on an independent review of the sport’s high performance programme being completed by 30 April, 2011. The review will cover coaching, leadership and the focus of Swimming New Zealand’s high performance programme.

SPARC will invest $0.825m in swimming for the first six months of next year, with funding beyond that contingent on recommendations of the review being implemented.

Toomey says the funding until the end of June means swimmers can keep training and competing while issues within the sport are addressed.

SPARC’s $900,000 investment in Canoe Racing NZ for 2011 is subject to confirmation of its coaching structure ``and ensuring the right environment is created for all of the athletes within the national training squad,’’ he says.

Rowing and Bike

Toomey says Rowing NZ is getting an increase of $800,000 in 2011 and in 2012, bringing SPARC’s core high performance investment in the sport to $4.32m a year.

``Rowing has had a successful year on the water with seven medals at the World Rowing Championships, it intends to send New Zealand crews to compete in 12 out of 14 disciplines at London, and its costs have increased because it has more athletes in the programme,’’ Toomey says.

Bike will be getting an extra $500,000 a year, bringing SPARC’s high performance investment to $4.085m in 2011 and 2012.

``Bike has talented cyclists in its programme covering all disciplines of road, track, BMX and mountainbike, and is on track to meet its medal targets even with the change in Olympic events,’’ Toomey says.

Non-targeted sports

Winter sport will get $900,000 in 2011 and 2012, rising to $1.3m in 2011 and $1.5m in 2012 if the disciplines of freeski halfpipe, snowboard slopestyle and freeski slopestyle are added to the programme for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. The International Olympic Committee’s decisions on whether these disciplines will be added are expected early in 2011.

Equestrian will receive increased investment for its eventing programme, from $525,000 in 2010 to $900,000 in 2011 and $1m in 2012, on the back of results at the 2010 World Equestrian Games and its tracking towards the London Olympics. Showjumping will get $50,000 towards 2012 Olympic qualification.

SPARC’s high performance programme investment in Paralympics NZ will be $1.4m in 2011 and $1.5m in 2012, up from $650,000 in 2010, on the back of strong performances and the tracking of its medal potential athletes aiming for the 2012 Paralympic Games.

ENDS

© Scoop Media