• London Olympics 2012

Sotherton stripped of UKA funding

ESPN staff
October 17, 2011
Kelly Sotherton finished sixth in the 400m at the UK Championships © PA Photos
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Kelly Sotherton's chances of competing at London 2012 have been dented after she lost her funding from UK Athletics (UKA).

Sotherton, who grabbed bronze in the heptathlon at the 2004 Games, is targeting a 400 metres place - but her funding, which was in the lower of the two tiers for established athletes, has been taken away. She tweeted: "Nothing changes! Goals are still the same! I'm the master of my own destiny!"

The 34-year-old found herself in danger when she could only manage a sixth-place finish in the 400m at the UK Championships in August.

"We operate in a results-driven business in which clear decisions have to be made if athletes are not performing to the high standards we set," said UKA head coach Charles van Commenee.

"We have reviewed performances from 2011, including those from previous years, and identified what needs to be done in order to meet our targets for 2012. Progress was made in 2011 but there is still work to be done before next August to make our athletes perform better. A target of eight medals including one gold still remains."

Elsewhere, Mark Lewis-Francis has dropped from the top tier of funding into the second, while Yamile Aldama and Tiffany Porter have leapt into the highest band.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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