Guns already ablaze towards 2012 Olympics

Rowing has picked up the biggest chunk of funding from Great Britain’s sports budget with the announcement of UK Sport’s allocation through to the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Stimulated by the success in rowing at the Beijing Olympics (top country overall), rowing has supplanted athletics as the best-funded sport with an allotment of USD40.6 million for the next four years. This increase is despite an overall cutback in sport spending which will now total USD374 million.

Australian sports officials have reacted strongly to Great Britain’s funding announcement as they believe the Australian government sports funding of USD141 is not enough to be successful at the 2102 London Olympics.

Rowing Australia’s chief executive Andrew Dee told the Sydney Morning Herald, “If you say you are going to space, you need a spaceship. If you want to be successful, you can’t then spread the funding too thinly. We need a quantum lead forward.”

Dee added that, with a total of USD12 million, the Australian rowing funding for their elite programme was much less than Great Britain’s. He also commented that Great Britain was able to secure Australian coaches by offering more money. Dee used Paul Thompson (coach of the British women’s quad) as an example.

Australia finished sixth overall in the Beijing Games and in rowing earned two gold medals and one silver. Great Britain’s fourth place overall on the medals table meant that for the first time in a number of years they finished higher than Australia. In rowing, Great Britain won two golds, two silvers and two bronzes.

Meanwhile Australia has released a web based advertisement to help find athletes for the 2012 Olympic Games. The video ad features an actor with a British accent taunting Australians about their ability to win Olympic medals.

This has led two former coxswains, known for their loud voices, to go head to head. Chairman of the British Olympic Association, Lord Moynihan and the President of Australia’s Olympic Committee, John Coates made public gibes at each other’s country’s ability to win Olympic medals.

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