As such, HPSNZ is broadening the base, with a total of 44 sports funded in the current cycle, an increase from 28. The 16 new disciplines are all within the new "aspirational" category.
According to HPSNZ chief executive Raelene Castle, they want to engage a "more diverse range of New Zealanders in high-performance sport" as well as backing sports that "resonate more widely with [our] culturally diverse population".
Ten sports are classified as "podium" (likely to succeed at pinnacle events), with the others listed as "aspirational" (those previously classified as campaign sports and also ones that inspire Kiwis in different ways).
Another key shift is the move towards guaranteed funding across an Olympic cycle, instead of investment being reviewed annually.
"The short-term tenure of the funding was limiting the opportunity and the experience of all those involved that couldn't plan," said HPSNZ general manager of performance partnerships Eddie Kohlhase.
"There was too much pressure on performance each year as opposed to holding the trajectory of performance over the four years, which is ultimately what we're trying to achieve for our athletes and coaches."
HPSNZ acknowledged that forecasting potential performance on a quadrennial - rather than annual - basis was complex, but backed the systems developed in conjunction with the national sports organisations.
Direct support for athletes has also increased and is similarly locked in for a cycle. The new Tailored Athlete Pathway Support (TAPS) will replace the previous disjointed model, which encompassed Performance Enhancement Grants as well as carded athletes.
TAPS will see an annual base training grant of $25,000 available to around 250 athletes and secured for a cycle. There are also "excellence grants", with up to $40,000 per year available for those who have achieved notable results.
There is also a pronounced emphasis on athlete wellbeing, with $7.4m invested in standalone initiatives, on top of the usual performance support services.
"We want athletes to be in a safe and healthy environment where sports and athletes have really robust environments to enable performance but also enable wellbeing," said Castle.
In terms of the sport grants, basketball's dividend is the most eye-catching, with an increase of more than 500 per cent in annual funding to $1.1m, up from $200,000.
"They have done a great job in the community space," said Castle. "They've grown their support and ultimately they put a really good high-performance plan together."
Rowing has been rewarded for its consistent success, with a massive annual increase of $1.58m to almost $7.98m per annum.
Cycling receives the next biggest allocation ($5.17m), although the specific allocation of that investment within the Cycling New Zealand programme will be conditional on the outcome of the current independent inquiry.
Despite a disappointing Tokyo campaign (one medal), sailing also receives an annual increase of $426,000 to $4.83m.
"We do take past performance into account but we also take future performance and potential," said Castle. "We believe that yachting has a range of athletes that can perform at Paris."
Canoe racing has also received a significant bump ($425,000) after their superb Olympic regatta, along with triathlon ($335,000), while para-swimming and para-cycling receive funding for the first time.
Other boosts include tennis (from $28,000 to $178,000) and squash (a 143 per cent increase to $286,000), while beach volleyball ($204,000), water polo ($101,000) and women's rugby league ($250,000) receive funding for the first time.
The most notable cuts are to equestrian ($258,000) and women's hockey ($282,000).
An annual total of $30.09m is budgeted for the 10 podium sports (rowing, cycling, sailing, athletics, canoe racing, equestrian, rugby, para-athletics, para-swimming and para-cycling), with a further $8.26m split between 21 aspirational Olympic sports.
The 11 aspirational non-Olympic sports share an annual total of $2.49m.
Friday's announcement did not include Snow Sports New Zealand, which is currently preparing for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, or Netball New Zealand, whose four-year funding investment agreement concludes at the 2023 Netball World Cup.
