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Previously, the Minister for Sport and Recreation and Premier shared details of a $1.35million funding package to support WA’s Olympic and Paralympic athletes selected to represent their country. This included $270,000 in grants, with up to $5000 per WA athlete travelling to France to compete on the world stage.

Now the program has been extended by $135,000 to support athletes, who may not be from WA and may not represent a WA Club, but are based at Perth’s national centres of excellence.

It is expected the direct payment scheme via the Western Australian Institute of Sport (WAIS) will support more than 70 WA athletes; over 50 in the Olympic Team and 20 in the Paralympic Team. Additionally, 33 Perth-based Australian hockey players and artistic swimmers will now qualify for up to $5,000 each under amended eligibility criteria.

The Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries (DLGSC) has also revised the program’s guidelines to allow partial or ‘top up' grants to athletes receiving grants from other Australian states or territories. This is to ensure equitable funding. 

The grants go directly to athletes via the Western Australian Institute of Sport (WAIS), providing competitors with the freedom to spend the money as they need to give them the best chance to succeed. Equity is important and revising the program guidelines ensures we give all our WA-based Aussie athletes a fair go. This includes artistic swimmers and hockey players who are based at the national centres of excellence in Perth but may not usually live here.

Overall, $1.35million State Government support has included:

• $750,000 split 50/50 between the Australian Olympic Committee and Paralympics Australia for their Team Appeals 
• $333,000 via the Western Australian Institute of Sport (WAIS) for athlete qualification and performance optimisation initiatives involving athletes, coaches and support staff.

The 2024 Summer Olympic Games are happening in Paris, France, from tomorrow (26 July) to 11 August, and the Paralympic Games are from 28 August to 8 September 2024.

West Aussies are encouraged to watch at designated public sites, or during community and sporting club watch parties. In Perth, you can cheer on our athletes at Yagan Square Amphitheatre with live, free viewing from 7am to midnight on all days of the Games.