UK Sport announced the withdrawal of all funding from GB Snowsport beginning with the next Olympic cycle, following the commissioning of an independent governance review into the organisation. The decision comes approximately six months after Team GB’s winter sports performance at Milano-Cortina and coincides with the confirmation of record funding levels for British winter sport athletes ahead of the Alpes 2030 Games.
Despite the funding withdrawal from GB Snowsport as an intermediary, UK Sport has guaranteed £12.5m to support coaches and athletes in ski, snowboard, and Paralympic equivalent events over the next four years. This represents the largest allocation from a £33m pool designated for winter sports overall, surpassing the £10.1m allocated to bobsleigh and skeleton. UK Sport stated its commitment to athletes while confirming that a new funding delivery mechanism will be established, with details expected before the year concludes. In the interim, UK Sport indicated it will continue providing athlete grants directly.
GB Snowsport responded to the funding decision with disappointment, noting that the organisation had recently completed its own independent governance review that concluded governance standards remain strong. The organisation stated it remains willing to engage with UK Sport on governance matters while reserving options to protect achievements from the previous four-year cycle. GB Snowsport has experienced leadership transitions, with Michael Osterlin currently serving as interim chair following two chairperson changes over the past three years.
UK Sport also announced the establishment of Sport Org, a specialist multisport performance delivery organisation that will oversee elite programmes in certain sports. The British Bobsleigh and Skeleton Association will transition its programmes to Sport Org before Utah 2034, continuing a structural shift already underway with curling and wheelchair curling programmes. Additionally, Ice Hockey UK received £445,000 to support the sport’s transition toward greater commercial sustainability, described as the first funding of its kind in the country.
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