Breadth of success targeted as British Paralympic and Olympic performance aspirations confirmed for Paris

UK Sport, the UK’s high performance sport agency, has confirmed its medal expectations for sports for the upcoming Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.

For the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games the range is between 100 and 140 medals, while for the Olympic Games they are hoping for sports to cumulatively win between 50 and 70 medals The ambition remains for ParalympicsGB and Team GB to secure a top-five position in the medal table at both Games, harnessing the power and platform that this success provides to drive positive impact in society.

ParalympicsGB has never been outside of the top five position of the medal table since the inaugural Games in Rome in 1960, and has been a top three nation since The National Lottery funding was introduced ahead of the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games.

After breaking into the top five of the Olympic medal table for the first time in The National Lottery era at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, Team GB has won 51 (Beijing 2008), 65 (London 2012), 67 (Rio 2016) and 64 (Tokyo 2020) medals.

Over the course of the Paris cycle, UK Sport has invested £315 million of government and National Lottery funds across 53 Olympic and Paralympic sports, with a further £70 million channelled directly to 1,100 athletes in the form of Athlete Performance Awards.

This breadth of investment supports our commitment to continue the UK’s track record of winning in an almost unrivalled breadth of sports. In Tokyo, British athletes won medals in 18 Olympic sports and 18 Paralympic sports, the most of any nation ever. We also won Paralympic gold medals in 12 different sports, which was more than any other nation.

Dr Kate Baker, UK Sport Director of Performance said: “GB currently boasts 41 current World Champions in Olympic disciplines and a further 61 in Paralympic disciplines, highlighting the immense talent across our sports.

“I’m incredibly excited to see all our athletes in action over the coming weeks and have every confidence we’ll see a fresh group of Team GB and ParalympicsGB stars emerge over the summer.

“We want to continue our streak of top five Olympic medal table finishes, but that won’t be easy. However, we’ve built a world class system with brilliant people which has been fantastically well supported by government and The National Lottery so I’m confident British athletes will write the next chapter of British Olympic and Paralympic success in the coming weeks.”

Baker added: “A compressed three-year cycle has also presented plenty of challenges but the coaches and support staff working in the National Governing Bodies have wrapped incredible support around their athletes and they deserve huge credit as the unsung heroes of Olympic and Paralympic sport.”

Penny Briscoe OBE, ParalympicsGB Chef de Mission at Paris 2024 said: “Paris 2024 promises to be a landmark Paralympic Games both in terms of performances on the field of play and the scale of global coverage. Staged in one of the world’s great cities, just a short journey from the UK, and in a European time zone for the first time since London 2012, it presents a fantastic opportunity for our fans to enjoy watching live sport in venues or with friends and family at home.

“The record-breaking achievements at Tokyo 2020 are going to be hard to eclipse but I am confident we will be highly competitive in every sport and there will be thrilling medal winning performances on every day of competition to excite and inspire the nation. ParalympicsGB’s commitment is to create an exceptional performance environment for athletes and support staff in Paris and I would like to take this opportunity to thank UK Sport and the National Lottery for their incredible support to help us achieve our ambitions.”

Dame Katherine Grainger UK Sport Chair added: “Paris offers the hugely exciting prospect of our brilliant British athletes competing on our doorstep. It’s also the first Games on a European time zone since London 2012, and I have no doubt that the British public will seize the moment to unite and cheer our incredible athletes to victory.

“The Olympic and Paralympic success which we will all enjoy over the coming weeks, and which will become indelibly marked in British sporting history, is only possible thanks to the unwavering support of government and National Lottery players.

“In recent years we’ve also seen some of our most successful athletes utilise their sporting platform to drive societal change on issues ranging from the environment to LGBTQ+ rights to mental health, to female body image, and so much more. Chasing the dream of winning an Olympic or Paralympic title is incredibly tough, so I’m especially proud of those who decide to go a step further and use their sporting success to make a difference in society.”

Lisa Nandy, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport said: “The Olympic and Paralympic Games hold a special place in the hearts of people across the UK, with Team GB and ParalympicsGB delivering some of the most iconic moments in our nation’s history. Sport has the power to inspire and to change lives. Our elite athletes prove what can be achieved for anyone, anywhere when we nurture our wealth of talent. Paris 2024 promises to be a fantastic event and we look forward to cheering on our Olympians and Paralympians, who always do us proud.”

Mark England OBE, Chef de Mission of Team GB said: “The athletes are ready and so are we – the team behind the team. I’ve every confidence that we are taking some of the most talented athletes this country has to offer and that we will be a potent force in Paris. We hope to make some incredible memories for the athletes and fans alike in the coming weeks.”