AusLeisure

New Zealand Sport and Recreation Minister Grant Robertson has announced that more than $20 million is being invested over the next four years to prepare New Zealand athletes for the 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Milan.

The increased investment comes on the back of a hugely successful Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games campaign for New Zealand this year.

It will see an average annual increase of $1.6 million in funds to Snow Sports New Zealand, as well as an increase of $66,000 for Ice Speed Skating New Zealand, in addition to new funding for Biathlon New Zealand and the New Zealand Olympic Luge Association.

The two new sports have been added as part of a strategy to support performances that inspire New Zealanders across a more diverse range of sports.

A total of $14.3 million of funding will go into the National Sporting Organisations to support their Winter Olympic and Paralympic campaigns as well as athlete and coach development.

Direct financial support of $3 million will be provided for athletes through the Tailored Athlete Pathway Support programme, with a further $3 million being provided for High Performance Sport New Zealand Performance Support services, such as medical, performance nutrition and performance and technique analysis.        

An additional $390,000 of funding will go towards supporting the new Snow Sports dry slope training facility at Cardrona.

Minister Robertson advised “New Zealand’s unprecedented success at the Winter Olympic Games and Winter Paralympic Games earlier this year reflects the raft of young talent emerging across winter sports.

“This investment will support the winter sports’ high-performance campaigns, build on the development of athlete and coach pathways and wellbeing initiatives and help provide facilities for our top winter sports athletes and para-athletes to compete consistently at the highest level.”

Image: Peter Michael finishes his second Winter Olympic campaign for Ice Speed Skating in Beijing. Credit:Ice Speed Skating New Zealand 

Related Articles

19th August 2022 - ExerciseNZ’s Richard Beddie calls for New Zealand Government to deliver clear messages on the benefits of activity

18th August 2022 - Silver Ferns and Cadbury thank New Zealand netball volunteers

30th July 2022 - PGA of New Zealand and Golf New Zealand unite to deliver enhanced services

22nd July 2022 - High Performance Sport New Zealand reveals next action in response to Independent Inquiry Report

22nd July 2022 - New laws see New Zealand grassroots sporting clubs fearing ‘extinction event’

11th July 2022 - New Zealand professional women’s and men’s cricketers to receive same pay

6th June 2022 - Triathlon New Zealand welcome new appointments

16th May 2022 - Inquiry into New Zealand’s elite cycling program reveals culture of ‘medals over wellbeing’

10th May 2022 - New Zealand’s ski fields preparing to open for the 2022 winter season

---

Support our industry news service
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

As an independent publisher, we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news.