Funding boost for Olympics

WELLINGTON - Athletes preparing for next year's Sydney Olympics will benefit from a $1 million Government funding top-up - but that won't cover the full costs of getting ready for the first Games of the millennium.

Sports Minister Trevor Mallard, in making the announcement, admitted there is a shortfall of between $3-4 million but believed this represented a decent first step.

He said after New Zealand's "variable" sports performances this year the Government wanted to do its bit to ensure there were "a lot more ups than downs" next year.

A chunk of the Government's $1 million contribution would be allocated to the 23 athletes and three teams in the High Performance Unit, who had been identified as having a good chance of winning medals.

A small grant would also be made to all other team members, including Paralympics team members, to help them meet their training and preparation needs.

Mallard said the Government would also provide $140,000 for drug testing programmes so New Zealand could meet obligations to foster a drug-free sporting environment.

Mallard said the New Zealand Sports Drug Agency had not been adequately funded to run drug testing programmes that would adequately deter and detect drug use, and the extra funding would allow the number of drug tests to be increased from 900 to 1320.

New Zealand Sports Foundation chief executive Chris Ineson welcomed the announcement saying the funds were "badly needed by New Zealand's top athletes.

The foundation identified a shortfall in Olympic Games preparation funding last year and the government's contribution was a "big step" in reducing that shortfall.

- NZPA