The foreign athletes funded by you: 'Olympic legacy' cash to help train Bolivia's 2012 hopefuls

By Damien Gayle
Updated: 04:58 EST, 3 October 2011


Foreign athletes will benefit from thousands of pounds of British taxpayers' money after a government handout to help train our own team's rivals.

The Foreign Office has given £15,000 to help Bolivian athletes get ready for the 2012 Olympics in east London, calling the gift part of Britain's 'Olympic legacy'.

The money will be used to train nearly two dozen Olympic hopefuls at the state-of-the-art High Performance Centre in Sorejapa, on the shores of Lake Titicaca.

'Extremely grateful': The Foreign Office has handed £15,000 to Bolivia to help them train their athletes for the 2012 Olympics in London

'Extremely grateful': The Foreign Office has handed £15,000 to Bolivia to help them train their athletes for the 2012 Olympics in London

'We are extremely grateful,' centre owner Roberto Neilsen Ryes told the Sun. 'The British public's kind generosity will help improve our chances of picking up medals.'

No Bolivian has ever won an Olympic medal. The cash will fund 23 athletes' training in judo, taekwondo, wrestling, swimming, athletics, cycling, horse riding, rowing and canoeing.

Liberal Democrat Foreign Office minister Jeremy Browne donned a poncho to visit the centre, where he said: 'In the UK we hope to win many medals and also share experiences with people of different cultures.'

The Foreign Office defended the payments, claiming that it supported 'crucial' work towards Britain's Olympic legacy.

'This is part of the crucial work we are doing around the world to help young people become motivated by sport - part of the legacy of London 2012,' it said in a statement.

State of the art: The cash will fund 23 athletes' training at the High Altitude Sports Performance Centre on the banks of Lake Titicaca

State of the art: The cash will fund 23 athletes' training at the High Altitude Sports Performance Centre on the banks of Lake Titicaca

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