AOC provides almost $2.4m in medal funding

The Australian Olympic Committee will spend almost $2.4 million in funding 192 athletes under the medal incentive program.

Poppy Olsen

Skateboarder Poppy Olsen is one of the Australian athletes to receive a funding boost from the AOC. (AAP)

Skateboarders and archers will get almost as much funding as track and field athletes under Australia's Olympic medal incentive program.

The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) will spend $2.375 million in funding 192 athletes in the program, based on medal results at major competitions last year.

The AOC provides $20,000 for a gold medal, $15,000 for a silver and $10,000 for a bronze.

Two skateboarders - Poppy Olsen and Keegan Palmer - and three archers will receive a combined $50,000 after they won bronze medals last year at respective major meets.

Four track and field athletes - Brandon Starc, Kathryn Mitchell, Dani Stevens and Henry Frayne - will share $65,000.

Rowers will get the bulk of the funding, some $425,000, with 18 swimmers to split $320,000.

Sixteen cyclists will receive a combined $275,000 under the program, which will deliver monies to athletes in 17 Olympic sports.

While the AOC has publicly given up on setting medal goals for Tokyo 2020, Australian athletes ranked fifth in the world on performances at designated Olympic events last year.

Australians won 18 gold, 19 silver and 20 bronze across all sporting disciplines to feature at next year's Olympics, ranking behind the USA, China, Japan and Russia.

"Fifty-seven medals across 17 sports confirms that the athletes are tracking well just 18 months out from the Tokyo Olympics," Australia's chef de mission Ian Chesterman said in a statement on Tuesday.

"Of course, everyone knows that competitors from many countries will step up as the Games get closer.

"But our athletes and our sports should take heart ... and they deserve every encouragement.

"It's particularly good to see Australians performing so well in events that will make their Olympic debut in Tokyo like the mixed team triathlon, surfing and skateboarding."

The latest funding level has more than doubled from last year, when 59 athletes shared $905,000, and the year prior when 73 athletes received $1.12m.


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Source: AAP


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