UK Sport chief plotting unprecedented medal success at London 2012
The host nation used the programme to great effect in Vancouver as they finished on top of the medals table with 14 golds, four ahead of second placed Germany.
Britain’s medal haul of 47 at Beijing 2008 was the second biggest ever achieved at a summer Olympics, second only to London 1908 where 146 were won, and hopes are high that Team GB really will own the podium in 2012.
With UK Sport distributing National Lottery funding on a performance only basis, the number of British athletes who reach the podium in London is by far and away the organisation’s key priority.
And Steele is happy to be seen to be using the home advantage in any way possible if it means medal targets are met or even exceeded.
“At first a lot of people were critical of Canada’s Own the Podium programme saying that it wasn’t very sporting and it had some bad press,” he said.
“But as soon as it started to do well then everyone thought it was a great idea and were a lot less critical.
“We will probably use a different strap line but the idea for 2012 will be very similar and it is something we definitely want to use as a tool for success.
“Medals are the aim of our funding as we have a responsibility to the British public so it is crucial to get as many athletes on the podium as possible.
“Having a home Olympics is an amazing opportunity for all sports and we must make sure we make the most of it during the Games and in the years that follow.”
Some nations suggested the Canadians were simply arrogant for pouring so much money into the programme when it seemed to be faltering in the opening days of the Games but most changed their tune when the medals started to flow.
And with Visa putting between six and ten million pounds into UK Sport’s Team 2012 initiative already, Steele is hoping more private sector investment can be attracted to give extra funding to those sports which merit it.
“Our Team 2012 initiative is like what they did in Canada making use of private money and we are looking for more money to come in that we can invest in the sports most likely to achieve success,” he added.
“We would be disappointed if we didn’t have more money on board by December and that will be used directly to guarantee athletes on podiums.
“The athletes need to be world class to earn extra funding and we are not here to bail out sports which cannot govern themselves correctly but reward those who show potential.”
For more news, features and live event blogs from summer and winter Olympic sports, visit www.morethanthegames.com.
Comment on this story