Earlier this month, ousted British track sprinter Jess Varnish won a bid to sue British Cycling and UK Sport over her dismissal from the high performance programme prior to the Olympic Games in Rio.
Now, UK Sport CEO Liz Nicholl tells Eurosport UK that should Varnish succeed in being classified as having been an employee of British Cycling, rather than being considered a contractor as supported athletes have been treated, it could set a damaging precedent for all Olympic athletes.
"There are implications and they are quite significant," Nicholl said.
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"If it is decided it's an employment scenario, there are other costs that will be incurred - National Insurance, tax, pensions and so on - and managed within a fixed budget."
Varnish was highly critical of the British Cycling coaches after the country failed to qualify a spot in the women's team sprint for the Rio Olympic Games. Soon after she made the comments at the 2016 UCI Track World Championships, she was dismissed from the programme.
She reported coach Shane Sutton for using sexist and discriminatory language toward her, a claim that was supported by several other athletes. Sutton resigned amid the controversy, which resulted in a full, independent investigation into the culture of British Cycling's high performance programme.
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
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