22-08-2016, 17:40
Personally I think this sort of funding for sports is exactly what the lottery money should be used for. Government probably shouldn't be putting money into any sport in this way, as Snooty says they need to go after the "bigger" things.
As for the cost, not sure its fair just to divide that cost by the medals won, the funding allowed us to take a team of nearly 500 athletes plus all the others behind the scenes including coaches, doctors and support staff. It also provides funding for the next generation of athletes, the ones who tried to qualify for the GB team but on this occasion didin't make it. We can send three athletes for each athletics event, as long as they attain the qualification standard, but the lottery funding will be used for many more behind those three.
I also thing the feel good factor is not necessarily short term either. People still talk about the London games 4 years later!! Cycling is one of the real success stories of this funding, since the London games they have received about 30m pounds from the lottery funding and while that has produced a very good medal haul (the best in the world currently) it has also helped produce Tour De France winners and seen cycling as a whole have a major spike in popularity, not just at these levels but also at the level of the general public riding bikes more than they have in recent memory. That won't, nor can't, translate to every sport but it is an indication of a very beneficial longer term benefit.
As for the cost, not sure its fair just to divide that cost by the medals won, the funding allowed us to take a team of nearly 500 athletes plus all the others behind the scenes including coaches, doctors and support staff. It also provides funding for the next generation of athletes, the ones who tried to qualify for the GB team but on this occasion didin't make it. We can send three athletes for each athletics event, as long as they attain the qualification standard, but the lottery funding will be used for many more behind those three.
I also thing the feel good factor is not necessarily short term either. People still talk about the London games 4 years later!! Cycling is one of the real success stories of this funding, since the London games they have received about 30m pounds from the lottery funding and while that has produced a very good medal haul (the best in the world currently) it has also helped produce Tour De France winners and seen cycling as a whole have a major spike in popularity, not just at these levels but also at the level of the general public riding bikes more than they have in recent memory. That won't, nor can't, translate to every sport but it is an indication of a very beneficial longer term benefit.