UK Sport set Games medal target
Team GB have been set a target of winning at least 48 medals across 12 sports at the Olympics
Britain have been set an official target of fourth place in the medals table at the London Olympics with at least 48 medals won across 12 sports.
The target by UK Sport, the body which distributes Lottery money to Olympic sports, means Team GB need to at least match their achievements in Beijing four years. In 2008, Britain finished fourth in the table with 19 gold medals and a total of 47 medals from across 11 sports.
UK Sport chair Baroness Sue Campbell said: "This is a significant milestone for British sport. Thanks to the backing of our Government and the National Lottery over the past 15 years, and more recently the investment we have received from Team 2012, we are able to confirm that our goal of top four in the Olympic medal table at our home Games remains on track."
Fourth place in 2012 is the target first set when the Government announced increased public money on top of the Lottery.
Olympics minister Hugh Robertson said: "Team GB goes into London 2012 as the best prepared team in British history. Expectations for medal success are high but I am sure our athletes will rise to the challenge.
"London 2012 is the culmination of many years of training and hard work and I wish all our athletes the very best of luck."
Each individual sport has also agreed performance targets with UK Sport for the Olympics.
UK Sport have unveiled their final 'Mission 2012 Tracker Boards' which have been monitoring the progress of Olympic and Paralympic sports. Some 28 sports are now on the highest 'green' rating compared to 15 sports ahead of Beijing 2008.
Liz Nicholl, chief executive of UK Sport, added: "Beijing 2008 was an outstanding Games for British athletes, and we knew at the time that bettering or even matching that achievement would not be easy, and should not be underestimated.
"Since Beijing the performance system has stepped up another gear, and we really believe that the nation will be inspired this summer by our athletes winning more medals in more sports. The Mission is telling us that we can, and we will."
So what if they come 3rd in the medals table? have they failed their target.
These sort of published statistics are nonsense and as for each sport agreeing a target, what is going on here. It is not a business where things can change or you can influence change over a given period.
i doubt that an athlete in a race is going to be thinking "I'd better run faster or I'm going to miss the agreed target".
You simply go for gold, the athletes all will. There are enough committees in sport without this lot and their business targets>
Reportedly (The Daily Mail), UK Athletics Head Coach Charles Van Commenee has put his head on the block. He has, reportedly, stated that if the UK Athletics team do not bag 8 medals, including one gold, he will resign.
One risks being accused of being either (a) unsupportive of the UK Athletics team (which most certainly is not the case) or (b) of being premature but one finds the opportunity to bid Mr. Van Commenee farewell irresistible.
Cheer-ho then Charlie!
This government wants to concentrate on real life issues like how many people are living near enough in poverty. Why not fund that instead of the olympics but no, as usual its only the taxpayers money so they,ll just do as they please like they always do. what a joke
48. That's a laugh, when all the money which should have been invested in the Athletes has been stripped away with all the Lottery Money (which should have gone to better causes) and some considerable Public funds for the Infrastructure and Security.
We should have been investing in our young people some 16 years ago to have any hope of winning medals today. The only two legged persons to have benefitted are the Officials and their families plus those who have had Gratis tickets to flog on Ebay or with touts.
None the less it is a huge event and brings together the Peoples of the World. We may not win any medals, but "its the taking part" that matters, isn't it? I wish our Athletes luck, but please come half way and not put "targets" into the mission.
