Hundreds of British Olympic and Paralympic athletes may be unable to afford to compete in the 2028 Los Angeles Games unless funding increases, a new survey indicates.
Surveyed by the British Elite Athlete Association (BEAA), around 64% of 189 athletes surveyed said they would quit their careers if the money they receive did not improve.
A further 21% said they would be unsure about continuing if their funding remained the same.
Only 15% agreed they could keep their current subsidy.
The BEAA says the findings reveal “a significant threat to British sport”.
The sample size of 189 represents about a sixth of the country’s funded athletes, and included 87 who competed at the Paris Games this summer.
If the results were extended to all funded athletes, the BEAA says 750 athletes would feel unable to represent their country in four years due to financial constraints.
Athlete funding must be “addressed urgently”
Meanwhile, a group of British athletes have called on the government to find an urgent increase in funding to avoid a “looming crisis”.
Athletes are funded through grants, called Athlete Performance Awards (APA), which aim to allow them to focus on their sport.
Funding levels for the cycle to Los Angeles are expected to be confirmed by the government after the autumn budget. He invested £385 million of public money – Treasury and Lottery funding – for the Paris Olympic and Paralympic cycle.
Hollie Pearne-Webb, British hockey captain and 2016 Olympic champion, said: “In sport, I have seen athletes become increasingly dependent on their families to support their careers, or give up altogether because they do not have the means to continue.
“Many held out until Paris, but many will not be able to support themselves for another four years without higher subsidies, particularly athletes from modest backgrounds. In recent years, many have been excluded from elite sport in because of the personal finances needed to make ends meet now.
“Without urgently addressing athlete funding, we will force out the next generation of British Olympic and Paralympic athletes, or limit the honor to only the most privileged.”
Pearne-Webb, who chairs an athletes’ forum that feeds into sports policy, co-signed a letter with nine other elite athletes which was sent this week to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy.
The forum, which includes Olympians like Asha Philip, Grace Reid and Brad Hall, as well as seven-time Paralympian Dan Greaves, called on the government to find an urgent increase in funding.
“Athletes and their families have shouldered the burden of static subsidies throughout the cost of living crisis,” the letter states.
“Now we fear that, with the sports system under immense financial pressure, they will be asked to do so until at least 2028. Such a requirement would have devastating consequences.”
The BEAA estimates that the average athlete earns less than £22,500 a year.
Its chairman, Dominic Mahoney, said: “We are deeply concerned. The athletes are extremely grateful for the support they receive, and none would wish to be seen as unappreciative. But the reality is that many have already been forced to drop out. sports, inflation having outpaced subsidies for so long, and many more may soon resign under the pressure of the cost of living crisis.
A government spokesperson said: “We are fully committed to multi-year funding for our elite sports system and enabling our athletes to excel on the world stage.
“This means supporting them financially to match and build on their success in Paris, helping them deliver on their promises at Los Angeles 2028. We will outline more details during the spending review.”
Funding agency UK Sport said: “We appreciate the feedback from the Athlete Advisory Forum and the BEAA, and appreciate that they have taken the time to raise this issue on behalf of the athlete community.
“Although the average annual APA amount has increased by just under 20% since 2013, we understand the financial pressures athletes face with the rising cost of living.
“We are of course studying this issue as we look ahead to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic cycle, as well as other financial pressures that exist within the high performance sport community, as we work with the government to confirm the level of investment available during this period.
