PROUDLY PRESENTING OUR TOKYO 2020 HOPEFULS TEAM GB THE ELITE ATHLETES GOING FOR GOLD AT THE OLYMPICS AND PARALYMPICS
The Euros and Wimbledon may be over – but sports fans still have plenty to look forward to as the delayed Tokyo Olympics get under way. Nearly 400 elite athletes are heading to Japan as part of Team GB, with around 250 Paralympians jetting out a month later. Covid restrictions mean there will be no supporters in the stands, but with the prospect of gold medal success at an all-time high, we will be cheering them on from home. Here, HELLO ! talks to some of our brightest prospects about how they have coped with an extra year of training, what they’re most looking forward to and the qualities that make them champions
MAX WHITLOCK — GYMNASTICS
‘I’ve been training at home with my daughter’
Five-time Olympic medallist Max, 28, won two gold medals in Rio and three bronze at London 2012. An ambassador for Trade Nation, Max and his wife Leah have a two-year-old daughter, Willow.
‘I am feeling a bit more nervous than normal about these Games. I’ve been lucky to have been able to train in the gym throughout most of the past year, as I had the elite sport exemption.
Preparation hasn’t been perfect – although it hasn’t been perfect for anyone – but in the grand scheme of things, there has been a lot more serious stuff going on than getting into the gym for training.
I looked at training for an extra year as a challenge. Of course there were times I didn’t feel great, but I wouldn’t be too hard on myself and I’d have a little bit of time off and then my motivation would kick back in and I would train really hard.
It was important to stay level-headed and positive as I still had a target of 2021 to head towards. To be a true athlete, you need to be adaptable to situations like that and I think it shows a lot of character if you can go and compete at your best after all that.
I am a real family man so going out to Tokyo without my wife Leah and our daughter Willow will be hard. It’s a real shame because I like them to travel with me wherever I go around the world – especially Willow, as it would have been an amazing experience for her.
I do like being at home; I struggle going away and it’s no different now. In some senses it’s harder this time around, as I have been at home for a long period of time.
I have loved this time in the UK. Willow is just over two years old now and she has grown up so quickly so I have been fortunate to be here for that.
She has just done her first pre-school gym class which was really cool. She absolutely loved it. We heard that she did very well in her first class so that’s quite a
