Bobsleigh and short-track are among the sports to have had their direct funding axed for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic cycle, but Elise Christie has been given the opportunity to go it alone.

Christie will benefit from a medal support plan worth in the region of £500,000 as she bids to put her Pyeongchang calamity behind her and finally claim an elusive first Olympic medal.

UK Sport has announced £24million in winter sports funding which will be spread between ski and snowboard, skeleton, curling, and para ski and snowboard.

The total is £8m short of the funding for Pyeongchang – at which the Great Britain team secured a record-breaking five medals – but does not account for a new co-funding programme and transition funding, from which the axed sports will benefit.

UK Sport chief executive Liz Nicholl said:  “While UK Sport would like to be able to invest in every Olympic and Paralympic sport, our role is to prioritise within agreed resources in order to protect and enhance the medal potential within the system.

“We believe these strategic investments will deliver medal winning success to inspire the nation once again in Beijing in 2022.”

Skeleton, ski and snowboard and curling will see their funding figures raised to £7.2m, £6.75m and £6.35m respectively, while para ski and snowboard will receive £3.5m.

Bobsleigh, short-track – Christie notwithstanding – and wheelchair curling are the three sports that will have their direct funding removed, although they will share an estimated £1.5m pot for transition funding.

Great Britain’s bobsleigh programme was plagued by controversy in the build-up to Pyeongchang, with only Mica McNeill – who crowd-funded her trip to the Games – finishing in the top 10.

PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games – End of Games Package
Skeleton will benefit from a funding boost after Lizzy Yarnold led more medal heroics (David Davies/PA)

The British Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation said in a statement it was “naturally disappointed” with the decision, but vowed to use the transition funding to “demonstrate their potential to achieve world-class results” at this year’s World Championships.

Meanwhile, Christie said she would consider her options given the effective moth-balling of GB’s elite short-track programme in Nottingham – which could include a move to train with a team abroad.

Christie, who has already committed to targeting a third Games despite her painful experience in Pyeongchang, said: “I am gutted for our sport, we have a fantastic team and great successes particularly in the past two years.

Elise Christie File Photo
Elise Christie has vowed to put her Pyeongchang heartache behind her (David Davies/PA)

“I am thankful for the support UK Sport and the National Lottery has given me and that they still recognise my medal potential.

“We’ll be working on a plan moving forward in the coming weeks, I don’t know exactly how that will look right now.”