A replica Paris BMX Freestyle track, customised seats for the Australian Steelers wheelchair rugby team and a centralised Hockeyroos program are just some of the highlights of new funding announced to support our Olympic and Paralympic athletes.
56 targeted projects across 26 sports will benefit from today’s $5 million funding boost as the Australian Sports Commission’s second stream of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Preparation Fund is announced.
It’s part of a $20 million commitment from the Australian Government announced in July to significantly enhance medal potential and improve the performance of Australian athletes in Paris.
Minister for Sport, Anika Wells, announced the successful recipients while in Paris less than a year out from the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“This is an important step on our path towards building the best sporting system in the world by Brisbane 2032,” Minister Wells said.
“This critical second stream of the Paris 2024 Preparation Fund sees dozens of projects brought to life including game-changing initiatives such as custom chairs for our wheelchair rugby team.
“For many sports, the Paris 2024 Preparation Fund unlocks the one-percenters and for others, it opens the door to new Olympic and Paralympic aspirations.
“Underpinned by the Win Well pledge, it is about elevating the chances of Australians getting to the Paris starting line, achieving a personal best, or reaching the podium and, ultimately, delivering results that make Australia proud.”
The majority of the funding will support sports to deliver critical pre-Paris training camps and ensure essential performance support staff are on hand to assist the athletes directly, while several projects will also help sports make critical small gains in their Olympic and Paralympic competition.
More than 40 per cent of the funding is going to Paralympic projects with sports such as boccia bolstering their coaching support and exposure to international competition.
Para sports like triathlon, equestrian and rowing will also benefit from new equipment and additional biomechanical support.
Australian Sports Commission (ASC) CEO Kieren Perkins OAM expects the projects to have a significant impact.
“We are delighted to be able to support our sports and athletes with this targeted funding which is set to make a tangible difference to so many people,” Mr Perkins said.
“Our athletes have made extraordinary sacrifices to get to where they are, and hopefully this additional funding support will help take them to the next level.
“I’d like to once again thank the Australian Government and Minister Wells for allowing the Australian Sports Commission to work closely with our sports to ensure these extra funds gets to the Olympians and Paralympians who need it most as we enter the final stage of preparations before Paris.”
Women’s sport is also a major beneficiary of the funding boost with:
- The Hockeyroos able to return to a centralised program in Perth from January 2024 with the funding allowing Hockey Australia to bolster their support staff and expand their squad as they look to return to the podium in Paris.
- The women’s 3×3 basketball program to use funding to appoint a coach, attend Paris qualification events and grow awareness of the 3×3 program.
- Paddle Australia launching a program to target one of the newest medal events, canoe slalom kayak cross which could see Noemie Fox compete alongside her sister, Jess.
- Georgia Godwin, Australia’s most successful Commonwealth Games gymnast, and teammate Abbie Watts receiving targeted support ahead of their Paris campaigns.
In wheelchair rugby, this funding will see individualised sports chairs built for priority athletes made to their exact specification requirements. In true Win Well spirit, the team’s protocol is that any athlete who upgrades their chair donates their old equipment to the program for another athlete to use, so this project will assist eight athletes in their pursuit of gold in Paris.
Australia’s swimming stars have also received a boost from the funding with significant performance-based investments being delivered, including the opportunity of purchasing and delivering the latest in technology, from starting blocks to new timing equipment ensuring our swimmers are exposed to the latest technology ahead of the Games.
Champion BMX Freestyle rider Logan Martin will have everything at his disposal to try and replicate his Tokyo 2020 gold medal, with a Paris Olympic Course replica to be built on the Gold Coast. Martin will be up against the French race favourite, Anthony Jeanjean, who has the significant edge of training on the Olympic course.
19-year-old emerging sailing star Grae Morris, who finished 4th at the Sailing Test Event, can now access the best equipment, and have two training camps in Fremantle which mirrors the conditions expected in Marseille.
Qualification campaigns have also been supported in judo, diving and surfing, with Australia a chance of attaining a third male and female spot in surfing at the ISA World Surfing Games in Puerto Rico in February 2024.
Stream Two of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Preparation Fund was a competitive grant program with eligible high performance sports applying for additional funding to enhance their existing and/or new priority campaigns for Paris 2024.
