UK Sport, a government agency responsible for investing money into Olympic and Paralympic sports, was founded just one year later.
The money, sourced through the government and the National Lottery, was transformative for the nation's Olympic program.
They just can't do that because there isn't enough money," Bloom said.
So how do you inspire the next generation of Olympic athletes without huge sums of money?
Watch as the athletes, their coaches and parents grapple with the price of a dream by clicking the video above.
Persons:
Ben Bloom, Katherine Grainger, Bloom, Emily Hutt, Willem Murray, Freddie Polak
Organizations:
Atlanta Olympic Games, Olympic, Paralympic, National Lottery, Sport, English Premier League, CNBC, Elite, Watch
Locations:
Great Britain, Britain