Record $513m funding package for elite sport set to be unveiled ahead of LA and Brisbane Olympics
Australia’s Olympic and Paralympic sports will receive timely support ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Games, with the Albanian government committing a record $513 million in high-performance funding over the next two years.
The investment, which covers the period from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2028, is an increase over the $489 million allocated in the previous funding cycle and provides much-needed certainty for national sports organizations as they enter a key phase ahead of the next Olympics and Paralympics.
An official announcement will be made in Brisbane on Wednesday.
Some senior sports figures, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the announcement publicly, said they were pleasantly surprised by the size of the fund after privately preparing for the possibility of budget cuts or a recession given the economic environment.
Instead, the federal government has stepped up its commitment to elite sport as part of a broader strategy towards the LA Games and the 2032 Brisbane Olympics and Paralympics.
The $513 million package, to be administered through the Australian Sports Commission, will support 68 high-performance sports programs and continue direct athlete payments worth $42.8 million over two years to help top athletes with living and training costs.
The fund will also continue the government’s Para Uplift program, which officials said identified more than 150 new para-athletes in its first year and helped establish dedicated para-sports units in every state and territory.
A key focus of the investment is also to retain coaches and high-performance staff, an area of sport identified as critical to Australia’s long-term sporting success; The Women Leaders in Sports program will receive support for another two years.
Winter sports are among the biggest beneficiaries, with Curling Australia, Biathlon Australia and Ice Racing Australia all set to receive high-performance funding for the first time. Netball Australia and Bowls Australia will also be provided with additional one-off grants for five winter sports ahead of major international events.
Paralympic Australia will receive a direct grant of $2.4 million to help cover additional costs associated with the 2028 Paralympics.
The announcement comes as Australian athletes prepare for next month’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, following one of the country’s most successful Olympic and Paralympic cycles.
Australia recorded its highest ever number of gold medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics, winning 18 gold medals, surpassing the 17 gold medals it achieved at the Athens 2004 and Tokyo 2020 Games. Australia won 16 gold medals at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.
Australia, meanwhile, had its best ever Winter Olympic performance at this year’s Milan-Cortina Games, winning three gold medals and six medals overall. This achievement eclipsed the previous record of four total medals achieved at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.
In December last year, the Australian Olympic Committee announced that it would invest $50 million in athletes as part of the “Olympic Futures Fund”.
Sports Minister Anika Wells said in a statement: “The Albanian government is proud to continue to provide record levels of funding for Australian athletes in preparation for the Los Angeles 2028 Games, Brisbane 2032 and beyond.
“As our athletes head to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, this $513 million investment is a testament to the courage, determination and passion our high-performance athletes bring to the world stage.”
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Tom Decent is chief sports writer for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect with: X or email.
