$45m allocated to top sports

Rowing, cycling, equestrian and paralympics sports are the biggest improvers in the latest round of annual sports funding allocation announced by Sport and Recreation New Zealand (Sparc), while question marks hang over swimming and canoeing.

Overall, sporting bodies receive much more in high-performance investment for 2011, helped by a significant Government boost to funding.

With a goal to get Kiwi athletes on the podium at the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, total investment in high-performance sport next year will be $45million, an increase of $3.8million on 2010 high-performance funding.

Sparc general manager high performance Martin Toomey said the allocations recognised sports that had performed well and were on track to meet their next performance goals, as well as those that had medal-potential athletes in their high-performance programmes.

"Our cyclists and rowers are two of New Zealand sport's big success stories and we're delighted to be able to announce significant increases next year and in 2012 to their high-performance programmes," Toomey said.

Sparc has made its investment in troubled sports swimming and canoeing subject to conditions while "issues" are resolved.

It will invest $825,000 in swimming for the first six months of next year, with funding beyond that contingent on recommendations of an independent review, to be completed by May.

Toomey said a maximum of $1.625million had been earmarked for the sport - the same as it received this year.

Targeted high-performance core sport investment for 2011 (increase from 2010 in brackets):

Rowing $4.32 million ($800,000), Cycling $4.085 million ($500,000), Yachting $2.5 million ($0), Athletics $1.8 million ($250,000), Swimming $1.65 million (0$), Triathlon $1.585 million ($50,000), Netball $1.2 million ($200,000).