UK Sport has made a controversial decision to cut funding for UK Athletics by nearly £1.75m for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic cycle. This decision comes despite Team GB’s track and field athletes delivering their best Olympic performance since 1984, winning 10 medals in Paris. The funding cut represents an 8% decrease, from £22.18m for the 2020-2024 cycle to £20.45m for 2025-2029, which has raised concerns within the athletics community. There are fears that the reduction will impact essential areas such as training camps and coaching funding, which are crucial for athletes’ preparation for the next Games.
The news is particularly shocking given that 44 out of 46 Olympic and Paralympic sports funded by UK Sport have either maintained or seen an increase in their funding. Cycling and sailing have received the highest allocations, with £30.13m and £23.95m, respectively. The disparity in funding between athletics and other sports has led to frustration within UK Athletics, which had hoped for a higher level of investment after its recent successes. The sport has been working to address financial and governance challenges, with a focus on improving its commercial model and organizational structure.
Despite these efforts, UK Sport has been critical of UK Athletics’ governance and management, particularly questioning whether UK Athletics’ chief executive, Jack Buckner, is too involved in the performance side of the organization. This has likely played a role in the decision to reduce funding, with UK Sport citing concerns over how the sport is being run. However, UK Sport’s chief executive, Sally Munday, has dismissed suggestions that UK Athletics is being penalized or put on the “naughty step.” She emphasized that the £30m in public funding, which includes £9.8m for Para Athletics, reflects a significant investment in the sport. Munday also pointed out that UK Athletics is still receiving considerable support, including funding for events and discussions around hosting the 2029 World Athletics Championships in the UK.
Jack Buckner, the chief executive of UK Athletics, expressed disappointment over the funding cut. He highlighted the progress made in recent years, which includes the 10 medals won in the World Championships and Olympics, as well as improvements in governance and the commercial model. Buckner felt that these achievements warranted a higher level of investment, but UK Sport was not convinced of the merits of UK Athletics’ case. The funding reduction is a blow to the organization, which had hoped to build on its recent success and continue improving the sport’s performance at the international level.
UK Sport has committed to a record £330m in funding for Britain’s Olympic and Paralympic sports in the lead-up to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. This includes substantial funding for sports such as gymnastics and hockey, which will receive £14m, and equestrian, which has been allocated £12m despite the controversy surrounding rider Charlotte Dujardin’s ban for whipping a horse in a video that emerged before the Paris 2024 Olympics. Dujardin is currently ineligible for public funding due to the sanction, but UK Sport has stated that it will continue to support other talented riders within the British equestrian program.
In addition to the traditional sports, UK Sport is also investing in five new and returning sports for the 2028 Olympics. Baseball/softball and lacrosse will each receive £700,000, while flag football, para climbing, and squash will each receive £500,000 in funding. Canoeing is the only other sport, alongside athletics, to experience a funding reduction, with its allocation falling from £13.08m to £12.55m.
The funding cuts to UK Athletics have sparked a debate about the future of the sport in the UK and its ability to compete at the highest level. While UK Sport insists that the funding is still substantial and reflects the progress made by UK Athletics, many insiders within the sport are concerned that the reduction will hinder its ability to maintain and build on its success. The cuts also raise questions about the priorities of UK Sport and whether athletics, despite its recent achievements, is being sidelined in favor of other sports.
