The Youth Charter has completed a longitudinal analysis of Team GB Athletes from Sydney 2000 to Tokyo 2020, which covers the post-Atlanta 1996 period and £1.116billion of public investment from the National Lottery and the Treasury, with another £232million to be invested for Paris 2024 Olympics, which will see a 43% increase in UK Sport funding from £54million per year to £77.4million per year.
During this period (1997 to 2021), socio-economic inequalities, including in education, health and racial disparities, have persisted and/or increased in the UK. The additional socio-economic sport and physical activity inequalities have been exposed by the unequal impact of the Covid pandemic on our most disadvantaged and deprived communities in the UK, and the pandemic has further increased the overall education attainment gaps between the state and independent education systems. Which begs the question:
- How many Team GB Athletes attended independent secondary schools?
The Youth Charter has data for this from previous Olympics and we will attempt to find some answers for Tokyo 2020 but this should be freely available and part of UK Sport's public funding criteria.
With regard to Racial Equality, the Youth Charter found there were 195 (12.5%) BAME Athletes out of the 1,562 Team GB Athletes who have competed at the Olympics from Sydney 2000 to Tokyo 2020. Of this 81% of the Team GB BAME Athletes were in 4 Olympic squads:
- Athletics 56% (109) of Team GB BAME Athletes
- Boxing 9.7% (13) of Team GB BAME Athletes
- Football 9.2% (18) of Team GB BAME Athletes
- Basketball 5.6% (11) of Team GB BAME Athletes
Whilst 15 (50%) of the Team GB Olympic Squads had 0% to 2% BAME Athletes. These 15 Team GB Olympic Squads had only 5 BAME Athletes out of 880 Athletes at Sydney 2000 to Tokyo 2020. These 15 Team GB Olympic Squads had 56% of All Team GB Athletes but just 2.6% of Team GB BAME Athletes.
However, UK Sport has provided £767million (69%) of the £1.116billion public investment to these 15 sports from 1997 to 2021. This includes:
- Cycling. £117million UK Sport Funding 2 (2.3%) BAME Athletes out of 88 Athletes
- Aquatics £138million UK Sport Funding 2 (0.9%) BAME Athletes out of 228 Athletes
- Rowing £131million UK Sport Funding 1 (0.6%) BAME Athletes out of 163 Athletes
- Equestrian £63million UK Sport Funding 0 BAME Athletes out of 40 Athletes
- Canoeing £59million UK Sport Funding 0 BAME Athletes out of 44 Athletes
- Sailing £106million UK Sport Funding 0 BAME Athletes out of 59 Athletes
- Hockey £54million UK Sport Funding 0 BAME Athletes out of 126 Athletes