Brisbane Olympics facing wipe-out with cash-strapped Aussie athletes considering quitting

Australian sport is facing a funding crisis with athletes living below the poverty line and on the verge of quitting, a shocking new report reveals. SEE FULL RESULTS

The funding crisis that is crippling Australian high-performance sport is worse than feared.

The shocking results from a new survey have blown the lid off the biggest misconception in Aussie sport – that it pays to play for your country.

As Sam Kerr and her mighty Matildas’ teammates kept reminding the politicians who were photobombing their World Cup celebrations – wearing the green and gold on the world stage is something most Aussies do for love, not money, because the costs are insane.

A damning new study has revealed just how unbearable those costs have become – with almost half of Australia’s elite athletes living below the poverty line.

The plight of Australia’s athletes has become so desperate that nearly half of high performers hoping to win medals at the upcoming Olympics, Paralympics and Commonwealth Games are so broke they are considering chucking the towel in.

Unsurprisingly, that’s led to a dramatic increase in the number of athletes experiencing worsening mental health issues that have alarmed everyone who cares about Australian sport.

Patrick Walker, the chief executive of the Australian Sports Foundation, which conducted the survey entitled Running on Empty, said the findings were a terrible indictment on the failings of the sports sector.

“Australia prides itself on the performance of its elite athletes, but this report shows they’re not getting the assistance they need to reach their full potential,” he said.

While the survey results were distressing, few insiders were surprised because it’s the worst-kept secret in Australia that sports which don’t get the big bucks from television deals are struggling to make ends meet.

More than 2300 competitors from over 60 sports took part in the study, which found:

THE average annual income for elite athletes was $23,000-$49,000.

TWO-thirds of elite athletes aged between 18-34 were considering quitting.

THIRTY-SIX per cent of females athletes said their mental health had worsened.

THREE in five Commonwealth Games athletes earn less than $23,000.

ONE in two Commonwealth Games athletes have considered quitting.

FORTY-THREE per cent of Brisbane 2032 hopefuls are thinking about leaving their sports.

The survey results were not a shock to Bronte Campbell. Picture: Tim Hunter.

For years, cash-strapped sports have been begging the government to reverse the cuts to high-performance funding, claiming a drop of 12 per cent in real terms.

The government disputes this, saying the federal and Queensland state parliaments have committed $7 billion to staging the Olympics and Paralympics in 2032.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese just committed to a $200 million increase to women’s sport off the back of the Matildas’ success, after federal Sports Minister Anika Wells had announced an additional $20 million rescue package to help every Aussie athlete who is good enough to get themselves to Paris next year.

“We understand the pressures facing athletes and in the past six weeks alone we have committed more than $220 million to sport funding,” Wells said.

“The Albanese Government has made four separate sport funding announcements since June, including $20 million to help athletes qualify for the Paris Games, $200 million for women and girls community sporting facilities, $2 million for cycling initiative AusBike and almost half a million dollars for a Paralympic talent identification program.”

But leading sports’ officials say that’s still not enough.

“The AOC has identified a $2 billion shortfall in federal funding in the forward estimates through to Brisbane 2032,” Australian Olympic Committee chief executive Matt Carroll said.

“This latest ASF survey brings this message back to the individual level. Financial pressure, impacts on athletes mental health and the risks of athletes exiting their sports as a consequence, is of huge concern.”

The report also highlighted the negative impact the cancellation of Victoria as host of the 2026 Commonwealth Games was having on athletes.

Commonwealth Games Australia CEO Craig Philipps remains hopeful a new host – and extra funding – will be found.

“We continue to advocate for increased investment in sport,” he said. “Athletes that do Australia proud should not be living hand to mouth, worrying about their rent and other bills,” he said.

Beach volleyball gold medallist Natalie Cook (centre) with Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and CEO of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Organising Committee Cindy Hook.

Swimming champion Bronte Campbell said it was a fallacy that athletes strike it rich.

“Two-thirds of athletes aged 18 to 34 years have considered leaving their sport. That is extremely concerning,” she said.

“These athletes are in their peak. And two in five elite athletes reporting that their financial situations are getting worse.”

Beach volleyball legend Nat Cook revealed that when she retired after winning Olympic gold, she was $300,000 in debt with no superannuation.

“I’d love to say I’m surprised at the findings, however, I’ve known for a long time that our national hero athletes are running on empty,” she said.

“And so it is quite stressing for me knowing that in nine years time we have the greatest sporting event in the world coming to Brisbane – the Olympics and Paralympic Games. Just wondering how we’re going to find the best athletes when nearly half of them are considering retiring because they can’t afford it.”

Originally published as Brisbane Olympics facing wipe-out with cash-strapped Aussie athletes considering quitting