Seven sports to receive extra funding for Rio Olympic cycle

High performance sports agency UK Sport has invested an extra £2.3m into seven Olympic and Paralympic sports as a result of its Annual Investment Review.

The additional funds include a £135,814 investment in Wheelchair Fencing, which re-joins the World Class Programme after demonstrating medal potential for Rio through performances over the past year.

Other sports receiving increases in existing investment are boccia, disability shooting, fencing, para-archery, para-triathlon, powerlifting and shooting. Badminton’s investment has been reduced slightly due to rebalancing of the programme.

UK Sport CEO, Liz Nicholl, said: “We wouldn’t expect to make any major changes to our investments at this stage in the cycle, but it is important we are able to review annually in order to be responsive to the competitive environment and to protect and enhance medal potential where additional funds can make a difference.

The Annual Investment Review takes into consideration sports’ achievements in their milestone events in 2014 and any changes to medal opportunities at the Rio 2016 Games – as well as progress in areas off the field of play, such as leadership, structure and governance.

• Analysis of the 2014 competition season (at World Championship and other elite level) showed that sports remain in a good position for success in Rio 2016.

Olympic sports achieved their combined target of 91-120 medals across all sports by winning 115 medals overall in milestone events and Paralympic sports exceeded their combined target of 106-152, winning 163 medals in total.