British short track speed skating has endured another disappointing Olympic campaign, with Niall Treacy's penalty in the men's 500m heats marking the end of Team GB's medal hopes in Milan. The 25-year-old, Britain's sole representative in the sport, crashed or fell in all three of his events at these Games.

Treacy's penalty in the 1,000m final - where he impeded Liu Shaoang - epitomized Britain's misfortune. Despite reaching the medal race and running in third place, the penalty dashed any hopes of ending a 32-year wait for a speed skating medal. Since Nicky Gooch's bronze at Lillehammer 1994, no British skater has won an Olympic event in the sport.

The funding crisis compounds these struggles. Short track received just under £2m in the latest UK Sport allocation, shared with figure and long track speed skating. Treacy highlighted the lack of proper facilities in Britain, noting there's no rink with soft boards needed for international competition. Training alone in the Netherlands, often with the Dutch national team, puts him at a disadvantage compared to better-funded nations.