British athletes have been set a goal to win 50-70 medals at this Summer’s Paris Olympic Games, with around a third of those predicted to be gold. A further haul of 100-140 medals will be targeted during the Paralympics. Both cohorts are expected to cinch top-5 spots in the global medal rankings.
Team GB confirmed that its Olympic cohort for Paris will include 327 athletes competing in 24 sports. This is fewer than competed in the Tokyo Olympics, where Team GB won a post-war high of 67 medals.
However, UK Sport Director of Performance Katy Baker said a record medal haul is not over-optimistic:“We feel really confident that we can get 50 to 70, and on a good day that 70 is really within our grasp.”
Mark England, 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.”
UK Sport’s focus this cycle is not only on winning medals however, but on ‘winning well.’
Baker explained that overall medal ranges rather than specific targets have been used to reduce “the amount of pressure that that places on individual athletes or individual sports”.
She added “athletes are fantastic at putting a huge amount of pressure on themselves. They certainly don’t need that from UK Sport.” Smaller sports bodies have their own medal targets but these won’t be made public.
The 100 – 140 medal target for the Paralympics is within Great Britain’s impressive track record, which includes top-3 table rankings and more than 100 medals in every Paralympics since the Beijing 2008 games. In Tokyo three years ago, Team GB’s Paralympians made history by winning medals in 18/19 sports they competed in, including gold in 12 different sports.
Penny Briscoe OBE, ParalympicsGB Chef de Mission at Paris 2024, credits performance success to breadth of talent. She said “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.”
She added “We hope we continue to consolidate our position towards the top of the medal table as a Paralympics GB team.”
However, Briscoe emphasised experience as well as excellence: “Our focus is on that one-team identity, team culture and ultimately we’re all committed to ensuring it’s a positive games experience for every team member.”
During the truncated 3-year Paris cycle, UK Sport has invested a combined £315 million of government and National Lottery funds into 53 Olympic and Paralympic sports. A further £70million has been awarded directly to athletes to support their performance.
Katy Baker said “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.”
The Olympic Games kick off in Paris on the 26th of July and run until the 11th of August, with the Paralympics to follow from 28th August – 9th September.
By Lauren Lethbridge – ADJ CFJ Alumni & Diploma Student