04 November 2008

UK Athletics have unveiled the new performance criteria designed to ensure that National Lottery support is targeted at providing increased levels of investment to a smaller number of athletes capable of medal success at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The number of athletes receiving individual lottery assistance next year will fall by 20% as athletes prepare for the 2009 IAAF World Championships in Berlin, and is expected to reduce further as the World Class programme gears towards maximising investment into genuine London 2012 prospects.

Charles van Commenee, UK Athletics’ newly appointed Head Coach – who will take up the post full-time in February 2009 – was involved in developing the new performance criteria and validating the final list of athletes.

He said: “We have taken a measured and impartial look at our athletes. For 2009 we are focusing podium level investment on those we believe will be successful in next summer’s World Championships.

“Thereafter the focus will be squarely on investing in the support of athletes I believe have what it takes to deliver the goods in London 2012. There can be no room for sentiment in elite athlete funding. I will use the system to ensure athletes are motivated to perform when it matters the most.

“We have a big year ahead of us, it is a World Championship year and we will see what athletes are worthy of investment leading onwards to London 2012 and beyond.”

There will be an initial 20% decrease in the number of funded athletes with further reductions expected as the entire programme gears towards London 2012. Athletes will now be supported on the basis of:

1. Their ability to achieve success at the 2009 IAAF World championships in Berlin

and/or

2. The talent and commitment to the World Class Performance Programme that suggests the ability to achieve success at London 2012.

Of the 33 Podium athletes, 6 will be funded at A category, 13 at B category and 14 at C category*. A new development category has been created to enable funding of a reduced number of athletes already identified as potential medallists and finalists in London.

The 48 athletes at this level replaces the 67 previously funded and again follows the objective of focusing resources on fewer, more tightly managed athletes who understand precisely what is expected of them to remain on the programme to 2012.

Relays remain a funded medal programme, however any athletes who are members of the relay programme where individual performances do not merit funding will only benefit from a package of basic support. It has been agreed with UK Sport that Great Britain & Northern Ireland relay teams remain a real prospect for medals in World Championships (where the men’s 4 x 100m and women’s 4 x 400m medalled in Osaka in 2007) and in London 2012.

UK Athletics also revealed that it remains committed to funding disciplines where current standards preclude the direct athlete funding. Specific event groups will be established aimed at identifying and coaching younger talent that has the potential to compete in London in events where in recent years we have had little or no international representation.

The list of supported disability athletes and the accompanying Paralympic performance matrix will be released in the coming days.

*PODIUM FUNDING

6 athletes are on A level support receiving a maximum award of £25,383 per annum*
13 athletes are on B level funding receiving a maximum award of £19,000
14 athletes are on C level funding receiving a maximum award of £12,600
10 athletes are nominated to the relay support programme only

*APA as set by UK Sport to cover living and sport expenses

FUNDED ATHLETES

PODIUM (A/B/C/Relay)*:
Larry Achike; Harry Aikines-Aryeetey; Emma Ania; Andy Baddeley; Tim Benjamin; Martyn Bernard; Michael Bingham; Sarah Claxton; Tasha Danvers; Marlon Devonish; Lisa Dobriskey; Montell Douglas; Nathan Douglas; Tyrone Edgar; Jessica Ennis; Mo Farah; Rikki Fifton; Emily Freeman; Phillips Idowu; Jade Johnson; Jeanette Kwakye; Mark Lewis-Francis; Christian Malcolm; Germaine Mason; Lee McConnell; Marilyn Okoro; Christine Ohuruogu; Tom Parsons; Jo Pavey; Craig Pickering; Paula Radcliffe; Michael Rimmer; Martyn Rooney; Greg Rutherford; Nicola Sanders; Goldie Sayers; Kelly Sotherton; Andrew Steele; Robert Tobin; Chris Tomlinson; Laura Turner; Simeon Williamson; Mara Yamauchi

DEVELOPMENT:
Phyllis Agbo; Dan Awde; Leon Baptiste; Meghan Beesley; James Brewer; Elizabeth Brathwaite; Richard Buck; Eilidh Child; Helen Clitheroe; James Dasaolu; Kate Dennison; Ed Dunford; Hannah England; Luke Fagan; Eden Francis; Gianni Frankis; Robbie Grabarz; David Greene; Sarah Holt; Vikki Hubbard; Jo Jackson; Hayley Jones; Laura Kenney; Chris Kirk; Tom Lancashire; Alison Leonard; Steve Lewis; Emma Lyons; Andrew Marsh; Jenny Meadows; Jonathan Moore; Alex Nelson; Ashlee Nelson; Anyika Onuora; Andrew Osagie; Emma Pallant; Barbara Parker; Asha Philip; Ryan Scott; Perri Shakes Drayton; Jemma Simpson; Alex Smith; Joe Thomas; Kadi-Ann Thomas; Steph Twell; Abby Westley; Richard Yates; Leevan Yearwood

TALENT
Kola Adedoyin; Abdirisak Ahmed; Michael Baker; Niall Brooks; Chris Clarke; Lianne Clarke; Jess Coulson; Nick Cruchley; Torema Dorsett; Niall Flannery; David Forrester; Nathan Fox; Daniel Gardiner; David Guest; Joanne Harvey; Ashley Helsby; Sophie Hitchon; Simon Horsfield; Lauren Howarth; Jordan Huggins; Antonio Infantino; Jade Ive; Emma Jackson; Richard Kilty; Nigel Levine; Jack Meredith; Jordan McGrath; Alan McKie; James McLean; Oliver McNeillis; Adam Moore; Brett Morse; Matti Mortimore; Ross Murray; Jade Nimmo; Edirin Okoro; Trevor Okoroafor; Shelayna Oskan; Louis Persent; Emily Pidgeon; Beth Potter; Andrew Pozzi; Callum Priestley; Charlotte Purdue; Andy Robertson; Sally Scott; Anike Shand-Whittingham; Lynsey Sharp; Keiran Showler Davis; Chris Smith; Peter Smith; Ricky Stevenson; Stevie Stockton; Rachel Stringer; Andrew Sutcliffe; Jennifer Taker; Katarina Thompson; Shaunna Thompson; Deji Tobias; Sophie Upton; Nathan Wake; Rick Ward; Laura Weightman; Ben Williams; Nathan Woodward

USEFUL LINK
UK Athletics Performance Matrix