UK Sport funding for figure skating

[Tallpoppy]

"Previously funded winter sports which, at the present time, do not meet UK Sport’s funding criteria, are Figure Skating, Men’s Bobsleigh, Snowboarding and Skiing. As with any non-funded Olympic and Paralympic sport, their ongoing performance will be assessed at each Annual Review point and are therefore able to be funded in the future if they meet the criteria set out in UK Sport’s investment strategy."

http://www.uksport.gov.uk/news/more-...-medal-success

Funding for Olympic Winter sports for the Sochi 2014 cycle:

Olympic Sports
1. 2010-2014 Funding Award (£)
2. 2006-2010 Funding Award (£)

Bob Skeleton
1. £3,447,600
2. £2,110,000

Bobsleigh - women
1. £2,420,200
2. £496,000

Curling
1. £2,055,100
2. £1,136,000

Ice Skating – Ice Dance
1. -
2. £496,000

Ice Skating – Short Track Speed Skating
1. £2,785,100
2. £964,000

Skiing
1. -
2. £372,000

Snowboarding
1. -
2. £248,000

[Ziggy]

[Tallpoppy]

Ditto Ziggy - I acknowledge the fact that funding does not always equal a high medal count, but really - we need to get things together to help our athletes - esp with government cuts hitting sport too.
I'd love to see a plan of action proposed for how we can get funding back for skaters and of course a plan of action for how things are expected to be paid for in the run up to the next Olympics.

[gingercrush]

Their criteria is quite simply pathetic. Skeleton produces a maximum of six medals and I hardly believe athletes in Great Britain are clamouring to join the sport. I actually agree with no funding for figure skating if there is limited money to fund sport.

But why you would cut snowboarding is beyond me. The sport is growing everywhere and Slopestyle is very likely to be included at the olympics. Same goes for skiing where freestyle events such as half-pipe and slopestyle will be Olympic sports into the future.

Sure results do matter but you can't rely on results entirely.

[Tallpoppy]

I agree with you about Snowboarding - can't see the justification in cutting funding to a sport that seems like it's gathering speed.

I'm biased towards skating so I would hope we put in a really clear and effective funding bid.
I don't know enough about how UK sport judge which sport gets what money - but if it's results then it's completely backwards given that we need funds to develop before we start seeing results.

[danceronice]

Well, in fairness, where is the money coming from? If government, right now they probably would not want to explain why they're spending anything they don't have to...

[Tallpoppy]

UK Sport are keen to point out Winter sports funding has increased this Olympic cycle...

Under their funding outline they write:

The Performance Pathway

"UK Sport’s approach to funding works on the basis of an athlete pathway with three clear and distinct levels – Talent, Development and Podium. At each level, funding is geared to reflect the challenges faced by the athlete and the level of support they need to achieve their goals.
We have developed definitions that broadly help to classify athletes. We have then linked these to our funding strategy, to provide a logical and transparent approach to funding – accepting that many sport specific situations exist. Current definitions are as follows:

Podium - athletes with realistic medal winning capabilities at the next Olympic/Paralympic Games (i.e. a maximum of four years away from the podium)

Development – comprising athletes whose performances have suggested that they have realistic medal winning capabilities for 2016 and newly funded sports that are demonstrating the ability to be competitive by 2016. In general terms however, it is not expected that athletes in individual sports would spend more than three to four years at this level

Talent - designed to support the identification and confirmation of athletes who have the potential to progress through the World Class pathway with the help of targeted investment"

Does this mean we didn’t qualify even for Talent and Development funding?

They also outline TASS:

“The Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS) is a government backed partnership between national governing bodies of sport and the Higher Education / Further Education Sector (EIs) focused on maintaining a balance between academic life and training as a performance athlete, aiming to reduce the drop-out of talented athletes from sport due to academic and financial pressures. TASS funding is generally positioned below the UK Sport funded World Class Programmes and athlete places are prioritised to support those sports with funding and support gaps. Athletes meeting the correct eligibility criteria are nominated to TASS for an award by their governing body. TASS athletes must be undertaking a recognised education programme registered at an educational institution in England and the scholarship offered to an athlete operates on an academic year from October-September.”

This sounds like a possibility for skaters in junior/senior performance teams who want to carry on studying.

[alij]

I am not saying I agree with their criteria, but once they are decided the decision to cut the funding has to be correct we have no-one who realistically stands a chance of medalling in Sochi or even going forward.

In skeleton it may not be as popular a sport worldwide but they have used their past funding wisely and stand a high chance of medals in both mens and womens events.

I am very sad for the future of skating in the UK and this is a big blow but with limited funds I can see they have to be targeted where there is a chance of success.

[Ziggy]

The funding overall isn't cut though.

Winter sports funding has been increased overall.

I understand them not investing a lot in skating but the sport has absolutely no chances of getting better results, if it won't receive any funding.

[Domshabfan]

The funding overall isn't cut though.

Winter sports funding has been increased overall.

I understand them not investing a lot in skating but the sport has absolutely no chances of getting better results, if it won't receive any funding.

May be Chris and Jane should campaign for the sport, surely that will create some publicity and support. They are national Icons and hence may be able to garner some support. It is not like people don't watch skating with stars, etc, it is somewhat popular so i hope we will see some funding drive from NISA.


And which winter sport does GBR have base in, women's Bobsleigh and Skeleton. However in both sports result depends on the track and generosity of the host nation allowing athletes from other countries to train in them. Otherwise these athletes will be limited to few practise run on the track and then lose few thousands on each run due to non familiarity with the track, enough to lose medals.

[Tallpoppy]

I would love to see Jayne and Chris help a campaign to get funding back - I believe this, combined with transparency from NISA about past bids, current spending and future bids, and some serious research into the criteria of various funding bodies would make such a campaign work.
Not to mention getting someone on the board that has past success of writing funding bids - a massive skill in its own right.

But it needs it all to work together and I am sad to say I can't see that happening.

I get regular updates about grassroutes funding which would be a start, but that requires rink managers to get on board and I'm not going to bother wasting my time expecting 'entertainment centres' that used to be training rinks to give a hoot about the small amounts of money that would bring in.
I've only recently witnessed patches be utterly dismissed for TV crews and the money they can throw at rinks (and we're not even talking DOI)

I agree with both posts above too - both seem right to me - you lose funding when you don't use it wisely. Once you get it - it is generally easier to keep it and make a stronger case for next year, than re-apply having already lost it. (If that makes sense). The other winter sports that have won funding have done so because they made the most of it when it was there.

Not sure how we can now claw back what was lost, but I'd really like this to be discussed openly with members - especially if individual support via TASS is still an option - lets face it being a student is likely to get even harder now so for skaters who are also students this would be a great opportunity.