UK Sport have announced a £2.4million uplift in Winter Sports Funding, including a significant amount to support the continued success of British skating stars. The funding is designed to help athletes preparing for the 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Milan-Cortina, and comes off the back of the 2022-23 season - the most successful on record for British winter athletes.
As part of this significant investment, £431,035 additional funding has been allocated to support Cornelius Kersten, Ellia Smeding, Lewis Gibson and Lilah Fear in their preparations for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina. Recent performances that helped secure their awards include:
Cornelius Kersten (Long-track Speed Skating) won World Championship bronze in the men’s 1,000m - Britain’s first in the sport since 1951.
Ellia Smeding (Long-track Speed Skating) recorded a top-eight World Championship finish.
Lewis Gibson and Lilah Fear (Ice Dance) achieved their best result to date, finishing fourth at the World Championships, and reached No.1 in the world rankings.
The increase takes the total amount of UK Sport skating funding to over £1.9million, and will support some of our top athletes to continue their success; in turn, inspiring and motivating future generations of British skaters. We can't wait to see what the 2023-24 season will bring!
Today’s announcement of additional financial support for five of our Olympic and Paralympic winter sports recognises the incredible potential of our current crop of athletes. They delivered several extraordinary sporting moments last season and we are excited to see them back in action later this year as we continue to pursue our ambition to become an ever-greater force in Winter Olympic and Paralympic sport. Of course, we wouldn’t be able to continue to invest in these talented young athletes without the incredible support we continue to receive from National Lottery players who power Olympic and Paralympic sport in this country.
- Dr Kate Baker, Director of Performance at UK Sport
After an outstanding season from our athletes and support team, I am delighted that UK Sport have recognised their achievements with an increase in support on the team’s journey to Milan. I would like to thank UK Sport and The National Lottery, and congratulate our athletes, coaches, and staff on their performances. We look forward to seeing the team continuing to reach its potential.
- Jon Eley, British Ice Skating Head of Performance