Swimming New Zealand Sees 40% Fund Reduction Heading Into LA 2028 (original) (raw)
In a blow to the sport of swimming in New Zealand, the nation’s High-Performance Sport Organization (HPSNZ) announced a 40% reduction in investment over the next four years.
According to the direct investment report for 2025-2028 released last month, Swimming New Zealand will see its funds decrease from 1,675,334NZ1,675,334 NZ1,675,334NZ ($934,333 USD) from 2022-2024 to 1,000,000NZ1,000,000 NZ1,000,000NZ ($558,000 USD) leading up to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Swimming isn’t the only sport seeing a monetary reduction as HPSNZ said, based on careful assessment and moderation against its investment criteria, equestrian, triathlon, hockey, basketball and rugby’s All Blacks Sevens will also see a decrease.
HPSNZ Director of High Performance, Steve Tew, said, “We understand that some sports will be disappointed with these decisions, and they were difficult decisions because we had quality presentations from all of the NSOs (national sporting organizations).
“It is not a reflection of their work and commitment to their sport. Ultimately, we have a finite amount of money to work with, and we have prioritised those sports with the track record and the highest potential to achieve the desired outcomes at pinnacle events.
“This was a robust process with a focus on winning medals at the LA 2028 Olympics and Paralympics and other pinnacle events during the cycle. By adopting a four year investment cycle, HPSNZ has aimed to provide certainty to sports and their athletes as they work towards their pinnacle events.”
HPSNZ’s report also details a $22 million per annum investment in the Tailored Athlete Pathway Support (TAPS) program aimed at supporting the well-being and performance of eligible athletes in the high-performance system. This segment most likely applies to New Zealand’s top swimmers such as Erika Fairweather and Lewis Clareburt.
Eligible athletes will receive an annual TAPS training grant and can be confirmed for the duration of the pinnacle event cycle, i.e., the 2028 Olympic Games, to provide greater certainty and financial security.
Additionally, athletes eligible for Elite and Potential TAPS grants are also provided fully funded medical insurance and are able to apply for Prime Minister’s Athlete Scholarships.
HPSNZ’s report also included the proposed medal targets for upcoming major sporting events:
- Proposed medal targets – LA 2028 Olympics 14-18 medals and Paralympics 9-14 medals, along with 10+ medals at World Championships across non-Olympic and Paralympic sports. Commonwealth Games targets are yet to be determined. These targets will be reviewed in December 2025.
At the 2024 Olympic Games, Clareburt finaled in the men’s 400m IM, placing 6th. Fairweather finished 4th in the women’s 400m free, 7th in the 200m free and 8th in the 800m free while the women’s 4x200m free relay placed 8th in Paris.
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Lewis Clareburt
About Retta Race
Former Masters swimmer and coach Loretta (Retta) thrives on a non-stop but productive schedule. Nowadays, that includes having earned her MBA while working full-time in IT while owning French 75 Boutique while also providing swimming insight for BBC.