- British fans urged to support their athletes at over 30 World and European level events in the UK on the road to Rio 2016
- Over 900,000 tickets available to the British public to support their athletes
- Up to 85 individual and 10 team Rio qualification spots available to GB
- Estimated economic impact for host cities and regions of over £37 million
UK Sport is calling on the British public to help give their athletes a crucial competitive edge as they step-up preparations for the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
#EveryRoadtoRio will feature over 30 world class sports events the length and breadth of the UK, with up to 85 individual and 10 team qualification spots up for grabs for GB for Rio 2016.
These events, which include the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Glasgow, the European Wheelchair Basketball Championships in Worcester and the Track Cycling World Championships in London, are part of a carefully planned strategy by UK Sport to maximise Great Britain’s chances of medal success at Rio 2016.
UK Sport Chair, Rod Carr, said: “The performance of our athletes in Rio is at the heart of our decision making, which is why we have worked hard alongside our partners to bring so many of these world events to the UK to help our athletes prepare and qualify.
“We saw the remarkable effect of home crowd support at both London 2012 and Glasgow 2014 and we genuinely believe that it could make the difference over the next 500 days as athletes strive to make it to Rio, so our message to British fans is ‘come and support your athletes – they need you!’
“The backing of National Lottery players is crucial to supporting our athletes’ preparation and allowing us to host these events, so we’d like to say a big thank you to them for making this possible.”
Dina Asher-Smith, silver medallist at the recent European Indoor Athletics Championships, said: “There’s no better feeling than racing in front of a home crowd and hearing their cheers can really inspire you. I'm so excited to compete in the UK this year and hopefully use that support to give some strong performances and put myself in the best possible position ahead of Rio next summer.
“It’s fantastic that with the backing of The National Lottery so many British athletes will have the chance to compete in the UK to prepare and qualify for the Games. I’d encourage people to buy a ticket to these great events - we need your support!”
Fourteen legacy venues from London and Glasgow will stage events over the next 500 days, as well as a host of other locations, and it is predicted that over £37m will be generated for host cities and regions, while over 900,000 tickets will be available to the British public.
Sports Minister, Helen Grant, said: “With the Rio Games fast approaching, there’s no better time to get involved and support our athletes by attending one of these fantastic events.
“Not only do they provide a wonderful opportunity to see some great sport live, but these major events held all over the UK, also help inspire future generations whilst bolstering local economies too.
“There’s something for everyone to enjoy, so I would urge fans to get behind our athletes who continue to do Britain proud.”
Brazilian Ambassador to the UK, Roberto Jaguaribe, said: “Rio 2016 will be an amazing time for athletes and fans. Rio de Janeiro is getting ready to welcome all athletes from Great Britain and all other countries and inspire them to excel in their sport.”
Fans that sign up to the #EveryRoadtoRio campaign will be given the opportunity to win one of two family ‘golden tickets’ (up to four tickets per family) for every event in the series (Terms and Conditions apply). Throughout the campaign UK Sport will be promoting exclusive opportunities to meet the athletes and get privileged behind the scenes access to #EveryRoadtoRio events.