UK Sport Halts Funding for GB Snowsport Amid Governance Review

Key Decisions

UK Sport has decided to withhold all funding from Great Britain Snowsport (GB Snowsport) for the upcoming Olympic cycle, following an independent review into its governance. This decision comes just six months after Team GB achieved their most successful Winter Olympics at Milano-Cortina.

New Funding Mechanisms

Despite this cut, UK Sport has pledged record levels of funding to fund coaches and athletes for winter sports events, including ski and snowboard disciplines and their Paralympic equivalents, over the next four years. This significant allocation is described as the largest share of a total pool of £33 million designated for winter sports.

But while UK Sport said it wanted to assure athletes of “our full commitment to them ahead of Alpes 2030,” a new funding mechanism outside of GB Snowsport is yet to be confirmed, with an announcement expected before the end of the year. “The UK Sport Board has decided not to route the investment for snowsport through GB Snowsport once funding for the Milan Cortina cycle ends,” a statement from the funding body said. “UK Sport has written today to all funded snowsport athletes to make them aware of this decision, to affirm our full commitment to them ahead of Alpes 2030 and to commit to continue paying athletes grants directly into the new cycle whilst we address these challenges.”

Separately, UK Sport will be commissioning an independent review into the governance of GB Snowsport.

GB Snowsport has changed chair twice in the past three years. Currently, Michael Osterlin – a non-executive director at the organization – operates as interim chair. The body is uncertain about its future and retains the option to pursue other avenues to secure its future.

The source text also mentions that UK Sport has confirmed the creation of a “specialist, multisport performance delivery organisation”, known as Sport Org, which will take over the running of elite programmes in certain sports. The curling and wheelchair curling programme is already operated by Sport Org and it has been announced that the British Bobsleigh and Skeleton Association will transfer its programmes to the new vehicle before Utah 2034.

In a statement released to the Guardian, GB Snowsport also said it had already completed another independent review into governance within the organization. “We have recently concluded an independent governance review funded by UK Sport, which has confirmed that our governance standards remain strong and appropriate,” it said. “We look forward to engaging fully and robustly in any new review, which we are confident will reach the same conclusions.”

UK Sport also confirmed that Ice Hockey UK would receive funding to help support the sport’s planned transition into a more commercially sustainable form.

In conclusion, while the immediate future of GB Snowsport looks uncertain, both organizations are working diligently to navigate these challenges. The creation of Sport Org and the allocation of substantial funding demonstrate UK Sport's commitment to enhancing performance in various winter sports disciplines ahead of the upcoming Alpes 2030 Games.

Source: The Guardian