Winter sports: Alcott hit by funding crisis

• Tweet
• Pin It

A funding crisis at SnowsportGB, the governing body for skiing and snowboarding in the UK, is hampering preparations for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

The organisation is £300,000 in debt, the BBC has reported, but its acting chief executive Robin Kellen has revealed a refinancing package looks set to be finalised in the next few days. This is hoped to help turn around the not for profit organisation, which he said has suffered from major budget overspends in the last two years, which led to the dismissal of the previous chief executive, Mark Simmers.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Read related reports:

The most common skiing injuries

The most common snowboarding injuries

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

The lack of funds has meant that British skiers and snowboarders have had to self finance summer training camps, just months prior to the Winter Olympics. In addition performance staff, including head coach Mark Tilston, have been on half-pay since the funding gap was exposed in April.

Chemmy Alcott, Britain’s number one skier and a genuine medal hope in Vancouver, has expressed her dismay at the situation. She told the BBC Sport,

“I’ve spent the last 12 years of my life preparing for the 2010 Winter Olympics. This is the most important season of my career. I’m at the prime age and I don’t need these kind of distractions. It is the worst timing ever and isn’t going to help my Olympic preparation.

“It has come out of the blue and I should not be stressing about funding. The training programme cannot be compromised if I want to be in the best shape possible. Skiing is a sport decided by hundredths of a second so I need to be as competitive as possible.

“It’s really disappointing. Everyone who knows me, knows I’m not a whinger but it’s hard to be positive when you’re desperate and we are really desperate.”

Louise Hudson, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine

• Tweet
• Pin It

You may like

• 

  Snowsports: Top five training exercises by specialist physiotherapist
  Snowsports: Top five training exercises by specialist physiotherapist
• 

  High and Mighty - Lara Dunn visits Val Thorens
  High and Mighty - Lara Dunn visits Val Thorens
• 

  Jo Gunston blog: The whys & the hows of the alpine skiing World Cup
  Jo Gunston blog: The whys & the hows of the alpine skiing World Cup

You must be logged in to post a comment Login