Swimming loses funds in wake of poor performance

The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) Chair John Wylie AM has announced almost $120 million in government investment allocations to Australian national sporting organisations for 2013-14.

However, swimming is one of the big losers, with funding cut by nearly six per cent. Paralympic sports received a massive 14 per cent increase following their stellar performance in London, and water polo fared even better with a 21 per cent increase in funding equating to a total of more than $3 million.

Other winners include rugby union, which is new to the Olympics, sailing, golf and canoeing, while understandably the dropped sports of baseball and softball have seen reduced funding, as have soccer, cricket and tennis.

Wylie says the ASC has set targets for Australia to be a top five nation at the Olympics and Paralympics, top 15 at the winter Olympics and Paralympics, number one at the Commonwealth Games and have more than 20 world champions annually.

“Water Polo will receive over $3 million as a consistent medal sport in the women’s program with a rising performance profile for men,” he says.

Wylie noted that the process undertaken was performance based and would be monitored.

However, swimming still receives more money than any other individual sport with nearly $9 million per year, ($8.78 million) just ahead of cycling ($7.95 million) and rowing ($7.29 million).