Australia lost many top coaches and sports experts after the 2000 Sydney Olympics because the Howard Government was too slow in ensuring funding was available, the Shadow Minister for Sport, Senator Lundy, said today.
“In previous budgets the Coalition slashed funding for sport and dropped the Olympic Athlete Program (OAP). As a consequence, many coaches and sporting experts faced an uncertain future after the Sydney Games concluded,” Senator Lundy said.
“Prior to the Olympics I warned Sports Minister Kelly that unless the Coalition restored the funding they slashed immediately then Australia faced the risk of losing coaches and high performance managers.
“The Government only announced restorative funding for sport in this year’s Budget, which was way too late for many of our top sporting experts.
“While not every coach or official left because of the Coalition’s failure to ensure funding was in place, the Minister should acknowledge that the Government’s ‘roller-coaster’ funding regime has had a detrimental effect on the Australian Sports Commission,” Senator Lundy said.
The Australian Sports Commission and the Department of Sport and Tourism will be appearing at Senate Estimates hearings next week.
64/01. Media contact: Simon Tatz on 02 6277 3334 or 0418 488 295
In answers to Senator Lundy’s questions on notice, the Sports Commission revealed the following personnel changes post-Olympics.
| SPORT | ROLE |
| Archery | AIS Assistant Coach |
| Athletics | National Head Coach (NHC); AIS Head Coach |
| Badminton | National Head Coach |
| Baseball | National Head Coach |
| Basketball | NHC (men); NHC (women); AIS Coach (women) |
| Canoeing | AIS Sprint; High Performance Manager; Sport Science Coordinator |
| Cycling | Head Coach (track) |
| Diving | AIS Senior Coach; High Performance Manager |
| Equestrian | NHC & Eventing Coach; Showjumping Coach |
| Hockey | AIS/NHC (men); Video Analyst; AIS/NHC (women); High Performance Manager (women) |
| Judo | National Head Coach (women) |
| Rowing | National Head Coach; AIS Coach; Sport Science Coordinator |
| Sailing | Sport Science Coordinator |
| Shooting | AIS/National Rifle Coach; National Clay Target Coaches; AIS/National Pistol Coach; High Performance Manager |
| Soccer | AIS/NHC (women); Under 23 Olympic Coach; AIS Head Coach |
| Softball | AIS NHC; Sport Science Coordinator |
| Squash | AIS Coach/High Performance Manager |
| Swimming | National Youth Coach |
| Synchronised Swimming | National Head Coach |
| Taekwondo | National Coaching Program Director; High Performance Manager |
| Table Tennis | Elite Program Manager |
| Tennis | National Head Coach (men) |
| Triathlon | AIS Head Coach |
| Volleyball (beach) | Program Manager |
| Volleyball | AIS/NHC (men); AIS/NHC (women); High Performance Manager |
| Water Polo | HHC (men); AIS Coach (men); AIS Coach (women); High Performance Manager; Sport Science Coordinator |
| Weightlifting | Three Coaching positions |
