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Gordon Farquhar

Performance anxiety


I think we should do a fingernail audit on the senior figures at UK Sport before and after the Beijing Olympics.

I'd be surprised if Head of Performance, Peter Keen, Director of Elite Sport Liz Nicol and Chief Executive John Steele haven't bitten them down to the quick by 24 August.

For different reasons, we'd better check on the Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe's too.

It dawned on me listening to the media conference as UK Sport announced their detailed medal expectations just how much is riding on hitting the Beijing minimum of 35 of any colour.

Some of Britain's medalists from the 2004 Athens Olympics display their haul

Elite sport in Britain is on an upward curve, and pushing it along is cash. Lots of it.

But in these uncertain economic times, UK Sport is facing the possibility of having to plan for less of it.

The grand design of fourth place in the medals table in London is likely to be downgraded pretty quickly if Team GB doesn't come up with the goods in Beijing.

Over the next four years, £600m has been pledged to elite sport, but £100m of that has to be raised independently by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Amount so far in the kitty? £0.00.

Steele is already preparing the ground by saying sport can't be immune from prevailing economic factors and recognising that unpredictable lottery revenues, the strength, (or weakness,) of the pound, and other budgetary pressures could come into play.

Fail to nail 35 medals, and the discussions this Autumn with the individual sports who don't hit their targets won't be pleasant.

Some could be cut from the programme altogether to feed the ones with the best chance of success in 2012, because UK Sport's top executives are smart enough to realise their £600m will be pecked away at too, and they'll have to prioritise investment.

Literally a case of the survival of the fittest.

Get it right in Beijing, romp back with 40 plus medals and potentially the biggest haul for 100 years, and it's the chaps in the DCMS offices in Cockspur Street who'll be sweating behind the victory smiles, and reaching for the Rennies: because they'll have no choice but to find the £100m pounds they've pledged to help team GB stretch towards that aspirational target of fourth place in London, and as we all know, raising cash has become an awful lot harder over the last 12 months.

Gordon Farquhar is BBC 5 Live's sports news and Olympics correspondent. Our FAQs should answer any questions you have.


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  • 1. At 00:38am on 03 Jul 2008, cesarvillapando wrote:

    I don't know where to find the figures, but hasn't it been shown that there's a measurable economic benefit to countries winning major sporting events? Perhaps the millions spent will turn into a half-decent investment?

    Even if not, as one of a generation who have watched olympics after olympics of Brit underachievement, punctuated by the heroics of the few who succeeded despite the system, I for one applaud the efforts to support our sportsmen and women properly, even if it is costing me money.

    OK - 600 million in 4 years is a lot of money, but you can bet your life the Aussies wouldn't worry about spending that kind of cash, they understand the benefits to the nation's morale, sense of identity, togetherness, etc, etc.

    God knows, while we're at it, some decent performances at this and the following olympics might persuade a few kids to get out there and try some sports - and we might save ourselves a few bob on the NHS when they don't all turn into Jim Royle.

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  • 2. At 00:54am on 03 Jul 2008, raul202 wrote:

    I often find the tone of an article most telling. The tone of the article "GB target 35 medals from Beijing" was distinctly positive - for a change it had an optimistic mood.
    And I think if I was a top athlete, I would be looking to my boss to give my whole team encouragement whatever the discipline. Football managers do so all the time, rugby, cricket...

    However the article was also realistic: "With Beijing just weeks away and also London 2012 just over four years away, everyone knows we have got to get better.
    "And you don't get better by under-shooting or lacking ambition and sports aren't doing that."

    The article and John Steele's quotes seemed remarkable balanced and refreshing to read. Unfortunately the same cannot be said of your blog, Mr Farquhar. Such negativity in the press is one of the major things wrong with our country at present. We should be getting behind our athletes, encouraging them to go out there and do their very best. Instead, the likes of you pour scorn on their abilities and prospects. Shame on you!

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  • 3. At 11:32am on 04 Jul 2008, Gordon Farquhar - BBC Sport wrote:


    Let me assure you I would never pour scorn on the efforts of our athletes, neither do I feel negative about our chances at the Beijing games: I actually think we'll do better than 35 medals, and could finish 7th or higher in the final table. What I'm pointing up are the economic realities that underpin the funding of our elite athletes. It's a matter of fact that there's a 100 million pound hole in the budget up to 2012, which the DCMS has pledged to fill. If our Athletes hit, (or better still exceed,) their targets, the DCMS will have no choice other than to come up with the cash somehow. I sincerely hope team GB gives the Secretary of State, Andy Burnham and the sports minister, Gerry Sutcliffe no reason to not have to find the cash! Go GB!

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