Olympic sports wait for 2012 windfall

UK Sport will announce this afternoon exactly how much money Britain’s summer Olympic sports, bar tennis and football, will receive in preparation for London 2012.

It will mean increases in funding for sports such as cycling, swimming and rowing following on from Gordon Brown’s decision to award an extra £300m (€431.4m) to fund elite sport.

UK Sport will also be funding team disciplines such as basketball, volleyball, hockey and handball for the first time.

However, the body is warning that under its ’no-compromise’ funding model, sports will have to prove their worth.

One of the most interesting parts of the announcement will be how much athletics will receive, following dire performances in the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

A UK Sport spokesman said: “In general, sports have to be able to show us those athletes with the potential to win medals.

“However, we do accept that not all sports are going to be able to win medals in 2012, so in that case they need to demonstrate they will be able to put in credible performances and create a legacy.”