[St Charles Owl]

My problem is that when we invest in elite sports and potential medal winners we and particularly the BBC embark on a phantasmagoric bout of xenophobia, celebrating the genius of achieving a bronze having trained on a tea tray on a dry run at Bath University, overseen by its £500,000 a year ex-Vice Chancellor. We want still to be the plucky little Brits and we want to outfund our competition too.

I like to see us compete and I like to see us win sometimes in any and every sport. But I can't support a funding system that rates a mass-participation sport like Basketball as being worth zero and equestrian sports (that don't even include its only mass-participation arm) at £12 million plus, which is shoveled into the arms of the already well-off. In an obese, diabetic nation I would be financing basketball, volleyball and handball too because we already have facilities where these can take place.

As far as long-term aims I'd find it difficult to justify pumping millions into Skeleton because Lizzie Yarnold won at it, when we lack mountains, snow and even one single run when we offer nothing to sports for which we do have some facilities and within which new recruits might also be developed all the way to Olympic achievement.

Our success in skeleton goes further back than just Lizzy Arnold!! We have now won the gold at the last 3 Olympics and prior to that took a silver and a bronze in the 2 Olympic prior to that. The funding of the individuals in that sport has shown a measurable success rate for us and has increased the interest in the sport. Lets also remember this isn't just about the Olympic Games, Arnold has won gold at the World Championships, the World Cup and European Championships. This funding has led to consistent success. As regards facilities, this funding allows these athletes to be able to train at proper venues like other countries can. They have also developed a training center in Bath for summer training and go to Europe for winter training. The success and interest in skeleton has also led to the development of the sleds by an English company and the suits they wear were developed and produced by another English company. This funding goes far wider than just paying for her hotels!!

As regards Basketball, that is a professional sport with a professional league generating its own revenue, thats probably why it doesn't get support from UK Sport funding. Other sports like football, rugby etc also don't get anything for the same reason. The funding is designed to help those that predominantly compete in individual sports and generally in sports where we have a tradition in competing in. There has to be a line drawn somewhere and not all sports will get something. Also the fact that the sports are measured by the progress they make means they have to have some measurable success to continue to receive the funding, the money is not just blindly given away.