Record investment, Para sport uplift and cultural change headline Win Well progress

A record $489 million in federal investment, a historic uplift in Para sport, and the launch of the first ever Connection to Country Action Plan are among the achievements being celebrated in the Win Well Horizon 1 Report.

The report, released today, sums up the achievements of Australian high performance sport. It marks the completion of the first phase of Australia’s High Performance 2032+ Sport Strategy, which has united 61 sports and organisations since its launch in December 2022. 

The new High Performance Investment Framework was central to securing the unprecedented funding boost for the first two years of the Los Angeles 2028 cycle. In parallel, the Para Sport Uplift doubled government support through an additional $54.9 million to address systemic barriers faced by Para athletes. The launch of the Connection to Country Action Plan, designed and led by First Nations athletes, has also placed cultural safety and reconciliation at the heart of high performance sport. 

The Horizon 1 report also highlights progress in planning and accountability, with a new Planning, Monitoring and Review framework already helping sports set clear performance targets, support athlete development and improve collaboration across the system. Together these reforms are strengthening trust and transparency while keeping the system focused on sustainable success. 

Horizon 1 Leadership Group Chair and Executive General Manager of AIS Performance, Matti Clements, said: "We have never been more united in our ambition to win and to Win Well. Our aspiration to Win Well and inspire everyone with how we win is the key to sustainable success and unlocking the full potential of our people and our sporting system." 

With Horizon 2 now underway, the focus shifts to embedding these reforms ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Priorities include repositioning coaching as a profession, uplifting Para pathways, enhancing collaboration, and identifying opportunities that will create a competitive advantage on the road to Brisbane 2032 and beyond.