Rowing and swimming to be best-funded sports in build-up to 2028 Olympic Games

Athletics gets a significant bump in its funding, rising from €841,666 in 2024 to €1.05m this year.

29 athletes will receive the highest ‘podium’ level of funding, €40,000 for the year, among them Olympic champions Rhys McClenaghan, Daniel Wiffen and Paul O’Donovan. Pic: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

Rowing and swimming will be Ireland’s best-funded high-performance sports in the build-up to the 2028 Olympics, with each of their national governing bodies receiving €1.1 million per year to support elite performers ahead of the Los Angeles Games.

Swim Ireland’s high-performance programme received the biggest increase in funding as Sport Ireland announced its 2025 allocations, with a rise of almost €350,000 on its 2024 allocation. Athletics Ireland also received a significant bump, going from €841,666 in 2024 to €1.05m this year. The Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA) will also receive €1.05m, an increase of €40,000, while Paralympics Ireland and the Irish Sailing Association will both get €1m.