UK Sport confirms 'Top Four' ambition for home games

Paul Dancey on 09/07/2012

UK Sport has confirmed a goal of top four in the medal table and an overall target of at least 48 medals from at least 12 different sports at the London games.

In return for more than £300 million invested in Olympic and Paralympic sports and athletes over the past four years alone, each sport agreed a performance target range with UK Sport. The performance target range for each sport has been monitored over the past four years and finally confirmed with UK Sport based on skilled analysis of medal prospects. The low end of this range represents a performance below which the sport would judge itself to have underperformed, and the high end of the range represents what is judged to be possible.

Baroness Sue Campbell CBE, Chair of UK Sport, said: "This is a significant milestone for British sport. Thanks to the backing of our Government and The National Lottery over the past 15 years, and more recently the investment we have received from Team 2012, we are able to confirm that our goal of top four in the Olympic medal table at our home Games remains on track."

This goal is in line with the intentions set out back in 2006, when the Government confirmed there would be a boost to investment for athlete preparations for London 2012 from the Exchequer and the private sector, in addition to existing support from The National Lottery.

Baroness Campbell continued: "I have no doubt that our athletes will do us proud, and am confident that we have created a sustainable high performance system set to ensure that London 2012 marks the beginning, not the end, of our ambitions for British Olympic and Paralympic sport.

"I'd like to wish our athletes, their coaches and support staff a wonderful Games, with the support of a rapturous home crowd, and hope they achieve the recognition they deserve for their commitment and dedication to British sport."

Hugh Robertson, UK Minister for Sport and The Olympics said: "Team GB goes into London 2012 as the best prepared team in British history. Funding from the Exchequer and the National Lottery has enabled UK Sport to put in place a high performance system that works, as demonstrated in Beijing in 2008 and by numerous fantastic performances since then. Expectations for medal success are high but I am sure our athletes will rise to the challenge. London 2012 is the culmination of many years of training and hard work and I wish all our athletes the very best of luck."

David Brailsford CBE, Performance Director of British Cycling, said: "At British Cycling, we welcome UK Sport’s medal targets as part of the responsibility to deliver on the public funding we receive to drive elite performance in our sport.

"Today’s announcement does not change our priorities. In London, as in Sydney, Athens and Beijing, our efforts will be concentrated on helping British cyclists perform to the best of their ability."

John Anderson, Performance Director of GB Canoeing, said: "GB Canoeing is hugely appreciative of the outstanding support we have received from UK Sport and the National Lottery which has allowed us to train and prepare at a level hitherto unheard of in the sport.

"It is with huge pride and optimism I look forward to the London 2012 Olympic Games and we are in good shape to deliver a strong performance."

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