PRESS STATEMENT FROM BRITISH GYMNASTICS
Recent media interest has focussed on Ben Brown, the gymnast
featured in London 2012 posters, aloft the ‘Gherkin’
and his retirement due to lack of funding. The funding mechanisms
for sport are complex and often difficult to follow, especially
when it is necessary for the authorities to prioritise limited
resources.
British Gymnastics is eligible to receive funding from UK
Sport for its elite programme, provided that it meets certain
criteria. The World Class Performance programme is designed
to assist those athletes in Olympic disciplines, who can demonstrate
they can win medals or make top eight places in major international
competitions. As such, the Association receives substantial
funding from UK Sport for Women’s Artistic Gymnastics
and Trampoline Gymnastics.
Unfortunately, our senior gymnasts are currently unable to
reach the required levels in Men’s Gymnastics and Rhythmic
Gymnastics. Consequently, these disciplines currently receive
no funding, nor are any of these gymnasts eligible to receive
individual awards to assist with their living and training
expenses.
In Men’s Gymnastics at junior level the sport has experienced
unprecedented success in the last Olympic cycle, winning consecutive
Gold medals at the European Championships, something that
has been significantly aided by the funding received from
Sport England from 1999 to 2005.
The cuts to the overall grant to British Gymnastics from
Sport England for the period between 2005 and 2009 have meant
that it was no longer possible to continue with these ‘Start’
and ‘Potential’ programmes, which are designed
to identify and nurture talented gymnasts towards the World
Class Performance programme.
The recent release of details of the application made by
UK Sport to Government for additional sport for the 2012 Olympic
Games is supported and welcomed by British Gymnastics. It
is hoped that the option for funding of the ultimate target
of 4th in the medal table is supported.
However, time is of the essence and it is vital that support
for the talented cadre of junior gymnasts is restored as soon
as possible, to give a realistic possibility of the men’s
team making a full qualification for the 2012 Games.
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