UK Sport cuts winter sports funding by £8million
Funding of £24million will be centred on ski and snowboard, skeleton and curling, as well as Paralympic ski and snowboard.
By Sky Sports News
Last Updated: 02/07/18 5:47pm
Team GB's Winter Olympians have been hit with an £8million funding cut despite delivering the nation's best medal haul in Pyeongchang.
This comes after funding from both the National Lottery and taxpayers has been reduced from £32million to £24-million for the four years leading up to the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
As a result, UK Sport has decided to focus its investment on sports it says can deliver "the best future medal potential".
Funding will increase for ski and snowboard (up to £6.75million), skeleton (up to £7.2million) and curling (up to £6.35million) and Para ski and snowboard (up to £3.5million).
The increase in skeleton funding comes as a boost to the British Bobsleigh & Skeleton Association after its athletes delivered three of Team GB's five medals in PyeongChang.
"We are pleased to see that the British Skeleton team have been recognised for a truly outstanding Olympic Winter Games in South Korea," said BBSA chairman Christopher Rodrigues.
"Winning three of Team GB's five medals in PyeongChang was a remarkable achievement and one that everyone here is immensely proud of."
Short-track speed skating is one of the sports having its funding cut but Elise Christie will receive a special medal support plan given her consistent world level success.
The 2017 world champion said it was hard news to take. "I am gutted for our sport, we have a fantastic team and great successes in the past two years," she said.
"We'll be working on a plan in the coming weeks, I don't know exactly how that'll look right now."
