What is the price for British medal success in Rio de Janeiro? Around £350m — the figure invested over the past four years by UK Sport, the body that funds the nation’s elite sportspeople.

British athletes competing in Rio have received more money to support their training during this Olympic cycle than their London 2012 predecessors, who were given about £314m.

The increase came despite an unprecedented surge in public funding before the London games, as the UK government looked to ensure its home games was replete with British success.

UK Sport has set a target for Team GB to win at least 48 medals this month, which would make it the country’s best medal haul at an “away” Olympics. If they were to gain 79 medals — which is deemed the top of the possible target range — they would surpass the record haul of 65 gained in 2012.

Britain’s paralympians have also been set a target between 113 and 165 medals, but are widely expect to beat the 120 medals earned four years ago.

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