Sports funding: Rich sports robbed to invest in pioneers

Luuka Jones is one of a few pioneers who have helped gift their sport more funding due to their performances at the Rio Olympics. Photo / Photosport

A Robin Hood sentiment pervades the 2017 High Performance Sport New Zealand funding budget.

HPSNZ has laid down significant incentives for athletes in minor sports, sending a message that strong international results in any Olympic code will get financial assistance.

In doing so they have effectively taken away from the likes of rowing and cycling to smooth a pathway for sporting pioneers.

Trap shooter Natalie Rooney and canoe slalomist Luuka Jones, both silver medallists at Rio, along with seventh-placed trampolinist Dylan Schmidt, received investment boosts.

Artistic gymnastics, wrestling, surfing, boxing and beach volleyball are among others to receive campaign funding in the wake of the Games.

"It's about finding a balance between targeted sports and campaign sports," HPSNZ chief executive Alex Baumann said. "We need flexibility to support individuals who have talent and potential."

The relative fortune secured by rowing and cycling held them to greater account following an audit of their campaigns when medal hauls did not meet forecasts.

"The two big sports weren't as good as we expected, to be honest," Baumann said. "But both had a good debrief to protect against complacency. It's probably more about evolution than revolution."

Cycling has already seen performance director Mark Elliott and endurance coach Tim Carswell move on.

"We have a lot of faith in cycling and there will be changes coming," Baumann said. "The [silver medallist] team sprint looks good for 2020 but the pursuit teams were a bit off the pace. Dropping them [the sport] $500,000 [from $4.7 million to $4.2 million per year] is a big number but it's workable and we'll have another look post-2018."

Baumann referenced a couple of rowing issues.

"A lot of athletes didn't know whether they would continue to 2020, which was significant if we want to keep our [wider campaign] target at 16-plus medals for Tokyo.

"We have confidence in rowing through the regional performance centres and their wider structure but some changes will have to come into play like working on their athlete engagement process, which could impact positively for Tokyo.

"We don't want to throw the baby out with the bathwater because it is a successful programme. Two golds and a silver was still an outstanding result."

The Rowing New Zealand board has guaranteed investment in the men's and women's eight through until Tokyo, something Baumann identified as having "great potential".

"But their bread and butter is in the small boats, so it's about making sure there's a balance."​