Athletics the biggest loser in funding cut of nearly £1.75m for LA 2028 Olympics

Katarina Johnson-Thompson won heptathlon silver among 10 medals secured by Team GB track and field athletes in Paris. Photograph: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile/Getty Images

UK Sport has denied putting UK Athletics on the “naughty step” after slashing its funding for the Los Angeles Olympic cycle by nearly £1.75m. The shock decision comes despite Team GB’s track and field stars winning 10 medals in Paris – their best performance since 1984.

UKA has struggled with financial and governance issues in previous years, while UK Sport is also understood to have questioned whether UKA’s chief executive, Jack Buckner, is too involved on the performance side.