WIREDGOV

Backing the Best is part of our plan to build the best talent progression pathway in the world.

Five Sport England-supported young athletes are in the running for a prestigious award thanks to their impressive performances in 2019.

SportsAid’s One-to-Watch award has previously been won by athletes that have gone on to win 42 titles at Olympic, Paralympic, World or European level – including Tom Daley, Hollie Arnold and Courtney Tulloch.

Five of the 10-strong shortlist for this year’s award are funded by our Backing the Best programme, with Aaliyah Powell, AbdAllah Eissa, Antonia Bunyan, Ellie Challis and Enriko Itauma set to find out the overall winner next week at SportsAid’s ‘Celebrate the Next’ event.

The judging panel is made up of prominent former Olympic and Paralympic athletes, as well as journalists and a representative of the GB Olympians’ Association.

Last year’s winner, boxer Caroline Dubois, was also a recipient of Backing the Best funding that allows athletes to focus on their sport and lighten the financial load that comes with forging a path as an elite athlete.

The programme, which launched in 2016, makes annual awards of up to £5,000 to athletes – via SportsAid – on a case-by-case basis and now supports more than 100 talented young athletes to pay for essential costs such as equipment, travel, coaching and competition entry fees.

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