Paris 2024: Canoeing amongst sports activities to get UK Sport funding enhance

UK Sport has introduced it’s going to make investments an additional £4m to assist summer time Olympic and Paralympic sports activities for Paris 2024.

Others world-class programmes backed embrace badminton, Para-badminton, taekwondo, hockey and crusing.

UK Sport director of efficiency Kate Baker mentioned it was “very important that we focus our sources on supporting our sensible athletes and employees”.

A complete of 26 world-class programmes will profit from £3.5m of additional funding.

An additional £500,000 might be invested throughout development sports activities – these “with recognized long-term medal potential” – in addition to Nationwide Squads Assist Fund sports activities, the place monetary assist will assist with prices related to Olympic and Paralympic qualification.

The canoeing funding contains £576,000 which was awarded in 2022 to assist kayak cross, a brand new self-discipline which is able to debut in Paris.

The rest of the funding will go in the direction of supporting the canoe slalom and kayak cross programmes primarily based on the London 2012 venue at Lee Valley, which has seen a rise in working and working prices as a result of power disaster.

The funding increase across sports will permit athletes to attend coaching camps in addition to further competitions that are important for qualification for Paris.

“With the summer time Olympic and Paralympic Video games lower than 18 months away, the extra investments we’re making are geared toward supporting our sports activities within the lead in to Paris, whereas additionally retaining one eye on the long run,” mentioned Baker.

“It’s critical that we focus our sources on supporting our sensible athletes and employees – with main championships and Paris qualification necessities clearly on the forefront of our minds – and in addition guarantee we proceed to strengthen the system going ahead.

“Constructing on the breadth of success we noticed throughout each our Olympic and Paralympic groups in Tokyo and on the superb outcomes achieved final yr, these investments are designed to energy our ambition to stay within the prime 5 of each medal tables and to achieve, encourage and unite the nation right here at residence.”