On Ben Levy's path to Olympic stardom, he's not getting caught up in results.
The 21-year-old judoka will step onto the tatami for his maiden IJF World Championships this October following a meteoric rise in 2026.
It has seen him soar to bronze at the prestigious Paris Grand Slam, recording a win over the world champion Joan-Benjamin Gaba in his debut at that level of competition, before clinching Commonwealth Games silver for Team England in Glasgow.
In just his first year as a senior, Levy now lines up for another major event but admitted that he's not preoccupied himself with dreams of LA 2028 or gold medals.
Instead, in a sport that could be over in just three seconds, the steadfast Levy continues to keep himself in check.
"I try to not focus on what result or what outcome I'm looking for at an event because then you obsess over it a bit too much," he said. "I don't want to get overly caught up with the thoughts of winning.
"It's something that my coaches have always drilled into my head since being young that you can't focus on getting the gold at the start of the day because there's a long process between the start and the end.
"The events where I've ignored it, and for the events where I've been expected to win, I haven't performed.
"You understand quickly that you have to stick to that mindset. Otherwise, judo is too unforgiving."
In just a few months, Levy has shown that he has excelled in the step up from junior to senior level.
These Worlds will once again provide an opportunity to showcase his talent on the biggest stage yet, and with Olympic ranking points on the line ahead of LA 2028, Levy is once again unfazed by the significance of the occasion.
He added: "I don't want to obsess over putting points on the board for Olympic qualifications because it's the same as looking for the gold at the start of the day. It's easy to get distracted with it. I just want to go and enjoy each fight as it goes.
"It's a big privilege as well because there will be a big spotlight on my category."
But while Levy is not counting the points and results as he strives to reach a maiden Olympic Games, he is still painting a long-term picture.
His recent silver medal in the men's -73kg at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games gave him a first taste of multi-sport Games action.
And despite the Games being on a smaller scale of just 10 sports, dipping in to watch some boxing before competing himself has given Levy an important insight into what he could be doing in less than two years time.
"It was interesting to have that multi-sport event feeling," he said. "I wanted to do the Commonwealth Games just to just to experience it and to prepare mentally for what the Olympics would look like in two years' time.
"It opened my eyes a bit about how many distractions there can be."
The qualification system for judo at LA 2028 is primarily based on the IJF World Ranking List, with athletes accumulating ranking points during the qualification period from 15 June 2026 to 12 June 2028.
The top 17 athletes per category will qualify for the Games, with other routes including continental quota and mixed team invitations and universality places completing the line-ups.
Levy is just as singularly focused on his Olympic spot as he is confident about his ability to achieve it.
The results and points will come as he continues to compete, and the Olympics he has always known is on the cards will finally take centre stage.
"I wouldn't call it a dream," he said. “It’s always just been part of my journey that I’ll be at the Olympics and make sure that’s part of my career.
"It's always been a feeling. I'm confident with my ability to qualify and I've shown that I can get there with the results that I've produced."
Sportsbeat 2026