MICA Moore believes UK Sport's decision to exclude bobsleigh from its funding programme for the 2022 Winter Olympics will only serve to motivate those hoping to compete in China.

It was announced on Monday that bobsleigh, figure skating, wheelchair curling and short track speed skating would not receive any of UK Sport's £24m for the Beijing Games.

However, the women’s bobsleigh and men’s four-man bobsleigh programmes will get transition funding to allow athletes to take part in next year’s World Championships in Whistler, Canada.

British sliders do have the opportunity to apply annually for funds if they “demonstrate their potential to achieve world-class level results”.

Brakewoman Moore and driver McNeill finished eighth at the Pyeongchang Games in February despite the British Bobsleigh & Skeleton Association withdrawing their financial support last September because of an overspend.

A crowdfunding campaign set-up by McNeill in the aftermath of that hammer blow to the duo’s Olympic dreams raised nearly £50,000 and got them to South Korea.

They didn’t win a medal but hopes were high that their performance – a best ever finish by a British women’s crew at an Olympics – would result in full funding for the 2022 Games.

Reacting to UK Sport’s decision, Moore, 25, said: “Naturally, it’s a little bit disappointing to not receive the full funding which bobsleigh has done previously.

“Realistically, we didn’t get a medal at the last Games so we have to be grateful for the transition funding.

“It means they see potential in us because we did have a successful season with a World Cup medal and eighth place at the Olympics.”

Commenting further on bobsleigh’s omission, she added: “Rather than being a negative thing I think it is going to be something positive for the team.

“It can motivate the team and we can go into the season with a goal to achieve, not to prove people wrong but just to show what we are capable of.

“With sport, you can’t go into things with a negative mindset, you have to be positive, so we’ve got to make the most of the transition funding.”

Given what happened in the build-up to Pyeongchang, Moore feels she and McNeill are now more used to dealing with financial setbacks.

“We’ve had experience of this sort of thing so we’ve learnt to take it in our stride and work on what we need to do," she said.

“What happened last season should help us next season – hopefully we won’t have to ask the public for money again.

“The World Championships in Whistler are the main focus for next season, and it’s a track where we have previously done well, so we’d be confident going into it.”

Moore is well aware that she will need to prove herself all over again to keep the number two seat behind McNeill for the 2018/19 season.

Becoming a two-time Olympian is a tempting proposition, but Moore says Beijing is too far ahead to focus on at the moment.

“Another Olympics would be an incredible achievement but I’m very wary it’s four years away,” she said.

“The way I've always gone about things is by working through my smaller goals to get to the long-term goal.

“There is a lot to be done before the next Olympics and it’s a process of working through each month and year until then.”

In response to UK Sport's announcement, the British Bobsleigh & Skeleton Association said: “While we are naturally disappointed not to be receiving funding for the British Bobsleigh team for the next Olympic cycle, we do welcome the transition funding for the women’s bobsleigh and the men’s four-man.

“The transition funding, which comes after ongoing dialogue with UK Sport over the last few months, will give British Bobsleigh athletes an opportunity to compete at this season’s World Championships in Whistler and demonstrate their potential to achieve world-class level results and justify further funding.

“Last season was British Bobsleigh’s most successful overall for two decades as they won medals on the World Cup circuit and achieved national and personal bests during and prior to Pyeongchang and, as the national governing body, we will do all we can to ensure this group of hugely talented, highly committed and hardworking athletes and staff are supported in the best way possible.”