Sports minister Hugh Robertson has confirmed that an increase in Lottery funding post-2012 will ensure there will be 'no drop' in support for elite athletes.

Robertson admitted that direct government funding will be cut, but said a guaranteed £111m is to be available ahead for athletes ahead of the 2016 Olympic Games. The minister met with the National Olympic Committee - the British Olympic Association's (BOA) policy-making body - to discuss elite and grassroots legacy planning.

Formal announcements are due to be made on various legacy proposals by the end of the year, which will set out the impact on sports before and after London 2012. Robertson said: "We had told Olympic sports we would do everything in our power to protect elite athlete funding so I am very pleased to have been able to confirm that."

BOA chair Colin Moynihan added: "We have the funding in place to support the team through the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics and Rio 2016 Olympics and that is very important indeed."