Olympic and Paralympic sports will benefit from an unprecedented quarter-of-a-billion-dollar windfall in the buildup to the 2024 Paris Games after the Australian Institute of Sport and the federal government revealed a new long-term funding model for elite sport.
The AIS announced on Wednesday it will, through government support, commit $257m over the next three years in an attempt to capitalise on Australia’s successful campaign in Tokyo earlier this year. It is the first time funds have been allocated for a full Games cycle, removing the uncertainty sports had previously faced on 12-month plans.
The new model is not based on rewarding success from the Tokyo Games, the AIS CEO, Peter Conde, said, but rather a commitment to build towards Paris and beyond – with a home Games looming in Brisbane in 2032.
Several sports stand to benefit from cash increases, notably women’s football and the Matildas, who will receive just over $1.9m over the next three years dedicated specifically to the football tournament in Paris, after Sam Kerr’s team fell just short of winning a medal in Tokyo.
Canoeing, women’s rugby sevens, rowing, surfing and skateboarding are among the other sports also set for sizeable increases. The women’s sevens program will jump 39% to an annual total of $2.5m, while surfing will get a 30% increase to $2m a year. Para and able-bodied canoeing increases to $7.15m a year, while rowing will get $10.055m.
“This funding commitment is made possible because of the belief and confidence the Australian government and the AIS has in Australian sport,” Conde said.
“The Tokyo Olympic Games and Paralympic Games inspired us all and we have worked with government to secure longer-term funding to forward plan and continue building on that success. This is why we are now launching an even stronger platform for Paris.
“This additional high performance funding for the 2024 Games is in addition to $14.6m a year in direct athlete grants being provided leading into Paris, as well as the $82.2m allocated in the 2021 federal budget to fund wellbeing programs and extend performance pathways to develop our champions of the future.
“This overall commitment to high-performance sport furthers the aim of the National High Performance Sport Strategy to create conditions for sustainable success, not only for Paris, but Los Angeles 2028 and our home Games in Brisbane in 2032.”
The new funding is in addition to existing direct athlete grants ($14.6m) and the government’s $82.2m wellbeing and future athlete package, which has already led to increased investment in sports including softball, baseball, gymnastics, women’s hockey, men’s football and rugby sevens.
“Through this commitment by the federal government and via a collaborative process with the AIS, sports are enabled to build their plans in advance for a full summer Games cycle, with funding right through until the end of 2024,” the minister for sport, Richard Colbeck, said.
“This will be the first time that sports have received funding certainty so far out from an Olympic and Paralympic Games, and we’re proud to have made that commitment to building sustainable success for our high-performance athletes and their support teams.”