Great Britain at the 2016 Summer Olympics

Great Britain at the Olympic Games

Flag of the United Kingdom
IOC code  GBR
NOC British Olympic Association
Websitewww.olympics.org.uk
At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro
Competitors 25 in 3 sports
Medals Gold
0		 Silver
0		 Bronze
0		 Total
0
Olympic history (summary)
Summer Games
Winter Games
Intercalated Games
1906

Great Britain is scheduled to compete at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016.

Administration

On 29 April 2014, the British Olympic Association announced the appointment of Mark England as Chef-de-Mission to the British Olympic team at Rio 2016.[1]

Funding

As with previous Games UK Sport was the body responsible for allocating elite funding for Olympic sports. In December 2012 a record £347 million of funding for Olympic and Paralympic athletes was announced with the aim of becoming the first nation in recent history to win more medals at the Games following being the host nation.[2]

Four sports, basketball, synchronised swimming, water polo and weightlifting, initially had all their funding withdrawn, while swimming and badminton had their funding cut.[3] Following an appeal process weightlifting had its funding restored.[4]

Sport and Recreation Alliance, an umbrella body that represents national sports organisations in Britain, raised concerns about how the Scottish independence referendum which took place on 18 September 2014 would affect sport funding and recognition issues for Scottish athletes who aim to compete at the Olympic Games.[5]

Athletics

The following British athletes have secured qualifying times in the 10,000m, marathon, 20km walk and 50km walk for which the qualification period began on 1 January 2015. The qualification period for the remaining athletics events commenced on 1 May 2015.

Equestrian

Great Britain became one of the first three nations to earn places at the Games, qualifying a complete team in dressage by winning the silver medal in the team event at the 2014 FEI World Equestrian Games.[6] The Great Britain eventing team also qualified by winning a silver medal at the same event.[7]

Football

Following the appearance of a British team in both the men's and women's tournaments as the nation hosted the 2012 Summer Olympics in London the Football Association initially indicated it was unlikely that a men's team would be entered to take part in the Rio Olympics as the component nations of Great Britain will compete separately in the men's 2015 European Under-21 Championship which act as the qualifying competition.[8][9] However, in February 2015, the FA indicated a change in its policy, championed by Gareth Southgate, the England under-21 coach, who held the view that, as the only global tournament for that age group (there is no FIFA under 21/under 23 World Cup), the Olympic tournament would provide valuable experience for the players. As a consequence, the FA indicated its willingness to the BOA to run a men's team for the Olympic Games.[10]

The prospects for a women's team are better, as the FA has stated publicly that, subject to one of the Home Nations meeting the qualification criteria (finishing as one of the top three European sides at the 2015 World Cup), they may be prepared to run a team for the Olympics.[11] England have qualified one of the eight European places available at the tournament. Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales have been eliminated from the competition.[12][13]

Golf

Golf will make its first appearance as a competitive sport at an Olympic Games since the 1904 St Louis Games. Having been born in Northern Ireland world number one golfer Rory McIlroy and former US Open winner Graeme McDowell would be eligible to represent either Great Britain or Ireland in the Olympics but both have announced their intention to compete for Ireland in Rio.[14][15]

Rugby sevens

In International competition the constituent nations of Great Britain ordinarily compete as separate unions representing England, Scotland and Wales. For the purposes of qualification for the 2016 Olympics the three British unions agreed in advance of the 2013–14 men's and women's Sevens World Series that their highest-finishing teams in that season would represent all three unions in the first stage of qualification during the 2014–15 series. The England men's and women's teams earned the right to represent the British unions in that stage of their respective competitions.[16]

Sailing

Great Britain has qualified one boat for each of the following events at the 2014 ISAF Sailing World Championships, bringing the maximum quota of 15 sailors, in ten boats.[17] The sailors who secured the quotas for Great Britain are not necessarily the athletes who will be selected to represent their country in these events.

Shooting

British shooters have achieved the following quotas based on their performance at the 2014 ISSF World Shooting Championships.[18] The shooters who secured the quotas for Great Britain will not necessarily be the athletes selected to represent their country in these events.

Swimming

British swimmers have so far achieved qualifying standards in the following events (up to a maximum of 2 swimmers in each event at the Olympic Qualifying Time (OQT), or potentially 1 at the Olympic Selection Time (OST)):[21][22] All British swimmers must qualify by finishing in the top two of the Olympic trials having gained the GB qualifying A standard set by British Swimming in the relevant final (that time being the fastest time of the sixteenth fastest swimmer internationally in that event in 2015).

Olympic Qualifying Time

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Mark England appointed as Team GB's Chef de mission". British Olympic Association. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  2. ↑ "UK Sport reveals record investment in bid to become first nation to surpass home Games medal haul". UK Sport. 18 December 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  3. ↑ "Rio 2016: Four sports suffer Olympic funding cut". BBC Sport (4 February 2014). Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  4. ↑ "Rio 2016: Weightlifting only winner in UK Sport funding appeals". BBC Sport. 19 March 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  5. ↑ Riley-Smith, Ben (18 August 2014). "Team Scotland could be left out of Rio 2016 after independence, UK sports bodies fear". The Telegraph. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  6. ↑ "Rio Olympics gets 1st qualified athletes". USA Today. The Associated Press. 26 August 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  7. ↑ Williams, Ollie (31 August 2014). "World Equestrian Games: GB silver as Fox-Pitt wins bronze". BBC Sport. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
  8. ↑ Kelso, Paul (14 August 2012). "British Olympic Association chief executive Andy Hunt criticises Football Association for lack of support". The Telegraph. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  9. ↑ "Kelly Smith laments Rio snub for GB women's football team". BBC Sport. 14 August 2012. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  10. ↑ Rumsby, Ben (2 March 2015). "Football Association attempt to resurrect Team GB men's team for Rio Olympics". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  11. ↑ "GB women's football team could compete at Rio Olympics". BBC Sport. 26 June 2013. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
  12. ↑ "Scotland face Dutch in play-off semi". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
  13. ↑ "Netherlands too strong for Scotland". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  14. ↑ Murray, Ewen (18 June 2014). "Rory McIlroy to play for Ireland at 2016 Olympic Games". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  15. ↑ Lowe, Alex (18 June 2014). "Rory McIlroy chooses Ireland over Great Britain for 2016 Olympics". The Times. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  16. ↑ "England nominated to qualify GB for Olympics". International Rugby Board. 11 July 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  17. ↑ "Rio 2016 Olympic Laser Spots Snapped Up At Santander 2014 ISAF Worlds". ISAF. Retrieved 14 September 2014.
  18. ↑ "Quota places by Nation and Name". ISSF. 23 June 2014. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
  19. ↑ "Ed Ling". British Shooting. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  20. ↑ "Ed Ling". British Olympic Association. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  21. ↑ "Swimming World Rankings". FINA. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  22. ↑ "Rio 2016 – FINA Swimming Qualification System" (PDF). Rio 2016 (FINA). Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  23. ↑ "Lizzie Simmonds". British Swimming. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
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