Team GB left with £25.6m blackhole from Paris Olympics disaster despite beating Tokyo medal tally

Team GB ended the Paris Olympics with 65 medals

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Stuart Ballard

By Stuart Ballard


Published: 12/08/2024

- 17:09

Team GB ended the Paris Olympics with an impressive 65 medals for their joint third-highest tally at a single Games.

The Paris Olympics proved to be a mixed bag for Team GB with only the United States and China finishing with more medals, however there were far less gold medals than expected.

Rowing proved to be the most fruitful discipline in terms of gold medals with Team GB picking up three top prizes.


On medals alone, cycling was Team GB's best source as they picked up 11 throughout the two weeks.

Athletics came a close second, although Keely Hodgkinson was the sole track and field gold medallist for Team GB.

Team GB ended the Paris Olympics with 65 medals

Team GB ended the Paris Olympics with 65 medals

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There were good results in swimming, equestrian and diving along with strong displays in canoeing and the triathlon.

Tom Daley won his fifth Olympic medal, completing the set with his silver medal in the men's synchro 10m platform.

Emma Finucane made history on the final day of the Games as she became the first British woman in 60 years to win three medals at a single Olympics.

But while there were plenty of positives for Team GB to take going into Los Angeles 2028, there were other areas where UK Sport will be wondering if it was money well spent.

UK Sport awarded a total of £245,837,685 of funding for the Paris Olympics with cycling receiving the most.

Rowing, sailing, athletics and swimming were close behind with all disciplines performing close to expectations.

However, boxing was by far Team GB's biggest disappointment with only one bronze medal in Paris.

Boxing was given just over £12m in funding from UK Sport for the Paris Olympics with the five of the six fighters suffering shock defeats in the opening rounds.

Lewis Richardson won Team GB's only boxing medal

Lewis Richardson won Team GB's only boxing medal

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Lewis Richardson managed to save Team GB's blushes with his bronze, but big changes will be needed if the sport is reinstated to the program for the Los Angeles Olympics.

While boxing suffered disappointment, there was also bitter in hockey as they missed out on a medal for the first time since 2008.

The women's side suffered their joint-worst result as they lost to the Netherlands in the quarter-finals while the men's side went out at the same stage.

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Chelsie Giles was one of the favourites for a medal in judo

Chelsie Giles was one of the favourites for a medal in judo

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Hockey stands out as the sport with the most funding from UK Sport without a medal in Paris.

They were given £13.6m for the Paris Olympics cycle with Judo second on the list of disciplines not to return with a medal having received £6.4m funding.

Joe Choong and Kate French failed to retain their Olympic titles in the much-changed modern pentathlon, which was third on the list for the most-funded event which failed to win a medal.

UK Sport now has to work out how to divvy up the funding heading towards Los Angeles and there will be serious questions asked about the combined £25.6m given to boxing, hockey, judo and modern pentathlon.

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