Yesterday the flame was extinguished on the delayed Tokyo summer Olympics and despite all of the challenges, concerns, and the controversy as to whether it should or should not have taken place in the midst of a global pandemic, who could argue that it was anything other than a huge success? Sport again showed that it can be a powerful catalyst for uniting peoples across the world, and as the IOC President said in his closing speech, ‘giving us hope and faith’. There have been some extraordinary performances and Team GB will be ecstatic to have matched their London 2012 medal tally of 64 and to achieve fourth position in the medal table. What has been really exciting in this Games has been the variety of sports who have medalled – yes we have again enjoyed the incredible achievements of well-funded sports such as cycling, but how satisfying it has been to see performances such as that of Charlotte Worthington in the BMX freestyle event. Up until four years ago she was working as a chef at the Chorlton Mexican restaurant in Manchester! What most impressed me was not just that she became the first woman to land a 360-degree backflip in the BMX freestyle event, but that she attempted it on her second run having fell when she tried it in her first and knowing that if she fell again her medal hopes would be out of the window. She could have gone for something a little less risky and been pretty much sure of still gaining a medal but she knew it would not be a gold and said afterwards, ‘I think its been gold medal or nothing this whole journey. I think as soon as we set the goal of gold medal it’s go big or go home’. Her mental toughness, confidence, and fearlessness speak for what it takes to be a champion, as does the performance of another favourite of mine – Lauren Price of Wales who took the gold in the middleweight boxing event – what an incredible athlete! I’ve also enjoyed seeing the impact on my kids of the sports new to the games. Although my 12-year-old son enjoys playing rugby, tennis, and a few other of the ‘traditional ’ sports, he absolutely loves skateboarding, surfing, and his mountain bike, so to see these along with BMX gives the games an added interest and relevance for him which must be a positive as we try to engage more young people in activity.
Seventeen days to go before our Games open… as always before any big event I am both excited and anxious but trying to stay composed. For the athletes last weekend was a very special one as they received their international caps from Roger and Heather Alwen. The tradition of awarding a cap to a player selected to represent their country dates back to Rugby School where they were originally called ‘following-up’ caps. They were introduced in the 1830s as part of the sporting uniform and made of velvet and braid. In the very first official international football match in 1872 the England team wore their own various school caps as part of their uniform for the match against Scotland, and in 1886 a distinctive white silk cap with an embroidered red rose was created for the international team. Wheelchair rugby is unique in adopting this tradition and presents caps to those who are selected for the Paralympic Games.
COVID-19 safety concerns meant that the cap ceremony took place at the team training camp in Lilleshall and was restricted to athletes and staff. The team were delighted that Roger and Heather were able to present the caps as both have been part of the team since the start of the Tokyo journey. As well as being instrumental in helping to raise the funds needed for the programme, both have taken the time to get to know the athletes, staff, and many of the families, earning the affection of everyone. Their family has also supported the team with daughter Kate and her husband, the world clay shooting champion George Digweed, staging the charity shoot and helping to raise funds, and son Jon Alwen the film director who has supported since London 2012. As a thank you from the team Gavin presented Roger and Heather with their own framed cap.
The team now go into the final stages of their Tokyo preparation which means that they will go into their own ‘bubble’ with daily COVID-19 testing to minimise any risk of infection ahead of their departure. The build up to the Paralympics has begun and Channel 4 will again be providing fantastic coverage. Some of you may have already seen the Channel 4 promotional advert which includes a big part for Kylie Grimes. We can also expect to see wheelchair rugby and many of our athletes featured in other media outlets. We will use the website to promote the details of the Games and Channel 4 will provide live coverage of all GB games. Meanwhile the IPC is featuring a guide to wheelchair rugby on its website:
Ten things to know about wheelchair rugby
David Pond
