WIREDGOV

Our 2019 Talent Plan laid out our strategy to help develop the world’s best talent system and how investing in producing more and better athletes remains a key objective for us.

As nearly 400 athletes are set to represent Team GB at the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, more than 60% of them have directly benefitted from our investment of National Lottery funding on their sporting journey.

We’re a partner of the charity SportsAid that helps young British sportsmen and women aspiring to be the country’s next Olympic, Paralympic, Commonwealth and world champions.

The SportsAid alumni travelling to Tokyo number 242 – 61% of the 397 athletes and travelling reserves.

Of those 242, four have come through the Backing the Best initiative that was founded in 2015 and is funded by us but managed by SportsAid – whose research shows it costs around £6,000 a year for young athletes to travel and pay for coaches and training camps.

The programme is designed to help those for whom the cost of sport would ultimately prevent them from progressing through their sport’s development system and fulfilling their potential.

In addition, 91 of the 242 are graduates of the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS) that is again funded by us and overseen by SportsAid, and helps athletes in education to get the best from both their academic and sporting lives.

These programmes aim to give those from all backgrounds a chance of developing their talent, and for our strategic lead for talent and performance, Duncan Truswell, they’re about living the ambitions of our Uniting the Movement strategy.

Click here for the full press release