For those who wanted a sneak preview of who would shine in Tokyo 2020 – the European Games in Minsk in 2019 gave a foretaste of some of the rising stars of British sport.
Whether it was Chelsie Giles winning judo bronze – two years before she was Team GB’s first medallist in Japan – or a host of boxers led by Lauren Price getting on the podium, the European Games paved the way for future success.
And there were also some established stars who were in action – Jason Kenny part of the team sprint that took bronze at the Minsk Arena Velodrome.
So as we approach the 2023 European Games in Kraków-Małopolska, it is the perfect opportunity to reflect on what happened four years ago.
READ: 10 Olympic stars to watch at the European Games
Unstoppable Ellis dominates at the Falcon Club
Marcus Ellis will return to the European Games stage in Poland, looking to recreate the success he enjoyed in Minsk.
Between the men’s doubles and the mixed doubles, Ellis played 12 matches, winning every single one in straight games to come away as a double gold medallist.
He was part of a hugely successful British badminton performance at the Falcon Club, winning men’s doubles with Chris Langridge – alongside whom he had won Olympic bronze in Rio, followed by mixed doubles success with Lauren Smith.
“It’s something the whole team can be proud of, not just our gold, but the amount of medals that we’ve won over the course of the Games,” said Ellis.
The mixed doubles victory came in an all-British final, Ellis and Smith getting the better of Chris and Gabby Adcock, while Smith and Chloe Birch won women’s doubles silver, with Kirsty Gilmour matching that in the women’s singles.
GB boxers rule the ring
In Tokyo in 2021, no country won more boxing medals that GB’s six, with Galal Yafai and Lauren Price taking golds.
They were both part of the team that won seven medals in Minsk, finishing top of the boxing medal table, with Price winning gold in the women’s 75kg by beating Olympic silver medallist Nouchka Fontijn of the Netherlands – two years before downing the same opponent in the semi-finals in Tokyo.
Price was joined on the top step of the podium by Pat McCormack, dominant on his way to 69kg gold.
McCormack went onto win Olympic silver, like Benjamin Whittaker, a silver medallist in Minsk, with Yafai upgrading European Games bronze to Olympic gold in the flyweight division.
Giles announces herself to the world
Chelsie Giles wrote her name into Team GB history by winning their first medal in Tokyo, taking bronze in the women’s 52kg judo on the first Sunday of the Games.
Since then, she has added European Championship gold and World silver to her collection, but it all started in Minsk where she claimed a bronze, defeated only by future Olympic silver medallist Amandine Buchard.
Reflecting on the bronze, Giles said: “This is a massive step to qualifying for the Olympics.” She did that and much more.
More success in cycling and archery
Five Brits won multiple medals in Minsk – the aforementioned Ellis and Smith, as well as cyclists Megan Barker and Jess Roberts, and archer Naomi Folkard.
Folkard was part of the women’s team recurve that took down hosts Belarus to take gold, before joining up with Patrick Huston to earn mixed team recurve silver.
Barker and Roberts, meanwhile, won madison gold and were part of the team pursuit that won silver.
Elsewhere on the track, Jason Kenny and the men’s team sprint took bronze, vowing to challenge champions the Netherlands in Tokyo.
Kenny said: “We’ve got the potential to certainly take it to the Dutch and give them a run for their money hopefully.”
In the end, Kenny had to settle for Olympic silver behind the Dutch, before winning a seventh and final gold in the keirin.
Last, but not least, Giarnni Regini-Moran won his first senior medal when he took bronze in the floor, before being part of the GB team that narrowly missed out on Olympic bronze.
Since then, Regini-Moran has added World, Commonwealth and European Championship titles during a remarkable 2022 for Britain’s gymnasts.
So as a 178-strong team prepares to head to Poland, the lessons of 2019 tell us that some future Olympic champions may be uncovered in the coming weeks.
Sportsbeat 2023