Team GB bobsleigh pilot Brad Hall 'devastated' by 2022 Winter Olympic funding decision

Team GB bobsleigh teamGetty Images

GB athletes had hoped results at the World Championships would be enough to secure funding.

By Nick Hope
BBC Olympic sports reporter

Olympic bobsleigh pilot Brad Hall is "devastated" by the decision of UK Sport not to fund British teams for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic campaign.

GB Bobsleigh received over £5m before Pyeongchang 2018 but, after failing to win a medal in South Korea, just £350,000 was allocated for this season.

GB athletes hoped a strong showing at the World Championships would be enough to convince UK Sport to reinvest.

Hall finished fourth with Nick Gleeson in the two-man event last month.

But disappointing results for the women's team and men's four-man line-ups did little to help their cause.

"I'm absolutely devastated and saddened to hear this news," said Hall.

"The future at the moment is very unsure as no funding means we cannot afford to compete next season, but we're not giving up just yet."

In a statement, UK Sport told the BBC: "UK Sport has concluded, following a post-season review, that bobsleigh does not qualify for any further investment at this time.

"We will continue to work with the sport through transition funding, which is in place through to 30 June 2019."

Both Hall and women's pilot Mica McNeill have utilised crowdfunding to boost their campaigns in the last two years.

The British Bobsleigh and Skeleton Association (BBSA) admits it will need to do that again, or find private investment, if it is to qualify teams for the next Winter Games.

"We are deeply disappointed," said BBSA chair designate Joanne Poulton. "We had hoped that our results this year would ensure some sort of further support.

"We will be doing everything we can to ensure the team can get to China - especially as we believe they can be in the mix for medals if they get there."

Last week the four-man bobsleigh team who competed at the 2014 Winter Olympics learned they had been officially upgraded to bronze following the disqualification of two Russian sleds for doping violations.