Source :- THE AGE NEWS
Australia’s Olympic and Paralympic sports are set to be handed a timely boost ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Games, with the Albanese government committing a record $513 million in high-performance funding over the next two years.
The investment, which covers from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2028, is an increase on the $489 million allocated in the previous funding cycle and provides much-needed certainty for national sporting organisations entering a crucial phase before the next Olympics and Paralympics.
An official announcement will take place in Brisbane on Wednesday.
Several senior sporting figures, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the announcement publicly, said they were pleasantly surprised by the size of the funding after privately bracing for the possibility of budget cuts or a stagnant position given the economic climate.
Instead, the federal government has increased its commitment to elite sport as part of a broader strategy to build towards the LA Games and the 2032 Brisbane Olympics and Paralympics.
The $513 million package, to be administered through the Australian Sports Commission, will support 68 high-performance sporting programs and continue direct athlete payments worth $42.8 million over two years to help the best athletes with living and training expenses.
The funding will also continue the government’s Para Uplift program, which officials say has already identified more than 150 new para-athletes in its first year and helped establish dedicated para-sport units in every state and territory.
A key focus of the investment is also retaining coaches and high-performance staff, an area sports have repeatedly identified as critical to Australia’s long-term sporting success, while the Women Leaders in Sport program will receive a further two years of support.
Winter sports are among the biggest beneficiaries, while Curling Australia, Biathlon Australia and Ice Racing Australia are all set to receive high-performance funding for the first time. Additional one-off grants will also be provided to Netball Australia and Bowls Australia, plus five winter sports in the lead-up to major international events.
Paralympics Australia will receive a direct grant of $2.4 million to help cover additional costs associated with the 2028 Paralympics.
The announcement comes as Australian athletes prepare for next month’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and follows one of the country’s most successful Olympic and Paralympic cycles.
At the Paris Olympics in 2024, Australia recorded its highest-ever gold medal tally, winning 18 gold medals and surpassing the previous mark of 17 achieved at the Athens 2004 and Tokyo 2020 Games. Australia won 16 gold medals at the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
Meanwhile, Australia produced its best-ever Winter Olympics performance at this year’s Milano-Cortina Games, winning three gold medals and six medals overall. The haul eclipsed the previous record of four total medals at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.
In December last year, the Australian Olympic Committee also announced a $50 million investment in athletes as part of its “Olympian Futures Fund”.
In a statement, Minister for Sport Anika Wells said: “The Albanese government is proud to continue record levels of funding for Australian athletes as they build towards the Los Angeles 2028 Games, Brisbane 2032 and beyond.
“As our athletes head off to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, this $513 million investment acknowledges the grit, determination and passion our high-performance athletes bring to the world stage.”
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Tom Decent is the chief sports writer for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.
