Australian Sailing Team welcomes government funding ahead of LA2028

Australian Sailing Team towards LA2028 © Sailing Energy

The Australian Sailing Team has welcomed the Australian Institute of Sport's (AIS) announcement confirming funding for its High Performance program through to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

This investment is part of the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) and Australian Government's record $385 million Win Well and Play Well funding package, which supports 70 sports over the next 18 months. The initiative aims to provide world-class pathways and resources across all levels of sport, from grassroots participation to elite competition

Minister for Sport, the Hon Anika Wells said, "This is a record funding package for Australian sport, so they can take full advantage of the generational opportunity between now and Brisbane 2032."

"Our record $385 million investment in high performance sport over the next 18 months, which includes a doubling of investment in Para sport, will enable our athletes to win well on the road to Los Angeles while also encouraging more Australians to play sport."

This is the first time the ASC has allocated funding that stretches from the playground to the podium, building on the success of the sector-wide High Performance (Win Well) and Participation (Play Well) strategies.

Australian Sailing CEO Ben Houston emphasised the importance of this partnership, saying, "The support of the AIS is critical to our athletes' success and to building pathways for future champions. We're grateful to the Australian Sports Commission and the Government for their investment, which enables us to excel on the global stage and inspire Australians."

Australian Sailing, High Performance Director Iain Brambell echoed this sentiment, adding, "We thank the AIS for their investment in our program as we build our squads for LA 2028. This support ensures we can deliver the necessary logistics across three continents, North America, Europe, and Australia, so our team is well-prepared for LA 2028."

Brambell continued, "The AIS's confidence in our program allows us to focus on expanding our medal opportunities at LA 2028 and Brisbane 2032. Our High Performance Strategy 2032+ has received the highest possible confidence rating from the AIS LA 2028+ Sport Assessment Panel, and we're up to the challenge of delivering on its ambitious goals."

The Australian Sailing Team continues its remarkable legacy, with the Paris 2024 Olympics marking five consecutive multi-medal performances and with this funding, the team is set to strengthen its legacy on the road to future Olympic success.