Following Great Britain’s gold medal in the Women’s Quad Sculls, 300 women have won their first medal at a Summer Games (Olympic & Paralympic) since National Lottery funding was introduced in 1997.
In the 96 years prior to the introduction of the National Lottery-funded World Class Programme, which is overseen by UK Sport to provide Britain’s Olympic and Paralympic athletes with world-class preparation and support, 336 female athletes had won their first Olympic or Paralympic medals.
And while Team GB’s solitary gold medal and 36th place at the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games is well documented, it was also the Games where just one woman, Denise Lewis in the heptathlon, won a medal for Team GB.
The 300 since National Lottery funding is made up of women who have won their first medal since the advent of National Lottery Funding in 1997.
The quartet of Lauren Henry, Hannah Scott, Lola Anderson and Georgie Brayshaw won in a nail-bitingly close fashion pipping the Netherlands to the gold in a photo finish. The World Champions have made history winning Great Britain's first-ever Olympic gold in this event.
With a count of 290 female medallists in the National Lottery era prior to the start of the Paris Games, Yasmin Harper and Scarlett Mew Jensen were first to add to the list, making history by winning bronze in the synchro diving; the first women’s diving medal for GB since 1960. This was followed by silver from Games debutant Anna Henderson on the bike in the women’s road time trial.
Kimberly Woods stunned the crowds with a brilliant bronze in the Canoe Slalom, and Ros Canter secured her first Olympic medal, winning gold alongside teammates Laura Collett and Tom McEwen in the Team Eventing. On the fourth day of the Games World Champion, Beth Potter stormed the Parisian streets to claim bronze in the Triathlon, swiftly followed by a bronze from Andrea Spendolini Sirieix and Lois Toulson in the Synchronised 10m Platform.
Sally Munday, CEO of UK Sport said: “Reaching this milestone of 300 British female medallists in the National Lottery era is a moment to celebrate the impact the World Class Programme, which provides equal talent with equal opportunity, has had for women in sport.
“There is no doubt that National Lottery funding, alongside government funding, has helped British athletes perform their very best on the world stage, providing them with the right training environment and facilities, and access to the best support staff and coaches.
“I am excited to see how these extraordinary athletes will inspire the next 300 female athletes to go on and achieve their dreams across a broader range of sports than ever before.
“We are only a few days into the Paris Games, and we have already seen incredible women win medals in a wide range of sports. I am looking forward to what is to come!”
With more than £30M a week raised for Good Causes, including vital funding into elite and grassroots sport, National Lottery players support our Olympic and Paralympic athletes to live their dreams and make the nation proud, as well as providing more opportunities for people to take part in sport. To find out more visit: www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk
