There has been a rise in the proportion of privately trained British Olympians attending the Paris Games compared with Rio 2016, new analysis suggests.
A third (33%) of the Team GB squad this time went to a private secondary school, according to research by the Good Schools Guide.
This is higher than eight years ago in Brazil, when the number was 24%.
Currently, around 7% of the UK population is privately educated.
The report analyzed the secondary schools attended by the 327 Team GB athletes – 155 men and 172 women – who will compete in the coming days and weeks in France, with an opening ceremony on Friday.
In Rio, there were 366 Team GB athletes – 202 men and 164 women.
Athletes educated at all-girls schools “disproportionately appear” on the 2024 team, the report concluded.
Almost one in four (23%) of the British national team competes in Paris they attended public or private school, of the same sex, according to analysis.
It also appears that certain sports have a higher proportion of privately trained athletes than others, with 52% of the rowing team and 47% of the hockey team having attended private schools in the past.
In the cycling team, this number was just 8%.
The top three schools with the highest number of alumni competing for Great Britain in France are Plymouth College in Devon, Millfield School in Somerset and Whitgift School in South Croydon.
They are all private and have former students from the Paris Games who received grants and scholarships to attend the schools.
See more information:
VAR rules out goal two hours after suspension of Olympic games
Video shows British Olympian whipping horse in training session
Keep up with the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
‘Identify talents from an early age’
Grace Moody-Stuart, director of educational consultants Good Schools Guide, said having facilities such as astrocamps, rowing clubs and 50-metre pools is “only part of the story”.
“These schools identify talent from an early age and offer places at considerable discounts, often free, in the hope of helping to realize that sporting potential,” he added.
The best settings “intertwine training and competition with academic work, and students rely on… experienced coaches, strength and conditioning staff, nutritionists, and sports psychologists.”
Ms Moody-Stuart continued: “For those who can afford it, or who are talented enough to win scholarships, the results are evidenced in the disproportionate number of privately trained sportspeople in this team.”
This story originally appeared on News.sky.com read the full story
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24401980/STK071_ACastro_apple_0003.jpg?w=150&resize=150,150&ssl=1 "Apple plans to use M2 Ultra chips in the cloud for AI")