The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) has announced a $257 million funding package in the lead up to the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, marking the first time the AIS will allocate funds for a full Games cycle.
Along with the announcement is a number of funding increases for several sports over each year, including a 39% increase for a total of $2.5 million for the women’s rugby 7s program, a combined total funding of $7.15 million for Paralympic and Able-body canoe, $10.055 million for Paralympic and Able-body rowing, $2 million for surfing, $0.85 million for skate, and $0.9 million for Para-table tennis.
The grants will begin on 1 July 2022 and will continue every year until 31 December 2024, with similar funding packages to be announced for Winter Olympic and Commonwealth Games-only sports after the upcoming 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
AIS CEO, Peter Conde, said the funding model will build off the success of the 2020 Tokyo Games in the hope of creating successful outcomes for Olympic sports for Paris and beyond.
“This funding commitment is made possible because of the belief and confidence the Australian Government and the AIS has in Australian sport,” Conde said.
“The Tokyo Olympic Games and Paralympic Games inspired us all and we have worked with Government to secure longer-term funding to forward plan and continue building on that success.
“This is why we are now launching an even stronger platform for Paris.
“This additional high performance funding for the 2024 Games is in addition to $14.6 million a year in direct athlete grants being provided leading into Paris, as well as the $82.2 million allocated in the 2021 Federal Budget to fund wellbeing programs and extend performance pathways to develop our champions of the future.
“This overall commitment to high performance sport furthers the aim of the National High Performance Sport Strategy to create conditions for sustainable success not only for Paris, but Los Angeles 2028 and our home Games in Brisbane in 2032,” he said.
Australian Sports Commission chair, Josephine Sukkar, said: “We are in the midst of an exciting time for Australian sport.”
“Paris is now only two and a half years away, and our commitment to longer term success, the green and gold runway to Brisbane 2032, is also front of mind.
“I would like to thank the Australian Government for sharing the vision of the AIS and recognising the value of allocating funding for a full Games cycle.
“It is a huge show of support for the Australian high performance system, the sports and our athletes,” Sukkar said.
