Tokyo 2020 as told by them: The best quotes from Team GB athletes

Tokyo 2020 08 Aug 21

Every Olympics is made up of iconic moments, scarcely believable feats of human speed, athleticism and endurance. 

Those images live forever and Tokyo 2020 has provided a countless number for Team GB fans with 64 medals, including 22 golds. 

But just as enduring can be some of the reactions from athletes immediately after achieving the unthinkable. Who could forget Sir Steve Redgrave saying ‘If anyone sees me going anywhere near a boat again they have my permission to shoot me’ four years before winning his fifth Olympic gold?

Or what about Ben Ainslie’s Hulk impression: ‘You don’t want to make me angry’? 

In Japan, we were treated to some classic one-liners, some poignant reflections of just how much work it had been to make it in these pandemic times, and even powerful assertions on wider societal issues. 

Here are some of our favourites: 

These Games saw Tom Daley finally secure a first Olympic gold, and he spoke beautifully afterwards about just what it meant to him. He opened up about his late father, how much of an impact fatherhood has had and even revealed that he could not walk a matter of weeks beforehand because of a torn knee ligament. 

But in a world where LGBTQ+ rights are not universal, this was Daley’s most powerful statement: “I feel incredibly proud to say that I am a gay man and also an Olympic champion. When I was younger I didn’t think I’d ever achieve anything because of who I was. To be an Olympic champion now just shows that you can achieve anything.” 

The Tokyo Aquatics Centre was the setting for a great deal of British success, Adam Peaty kicking it all off when he retained his 100m breaststroke title. 

Peaty even treated himself afterwards: “I’m going to enjoy the next 24 hours, have a bit of cake, just a small bit and then we’re back on it.” 

He added another gold and another silver in the relays, so he certainly did get back on it. They both came alongside James Guy, who won his first Olympic gold medal as part of the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay.

He was joined in that by 200m free champion Tom Dean and silver medallist Duncan Scott, who swam the anchor leg. Once Scott had the lead, Guy knew the gold was as good as won. 

He said: “As soon as Duncan had 100m to go I was thinking ‘it’s over. It’s Duncan Scott – he doesn’t let anyone go past him!’ He won’t let anyone beat him at cards, let alone the 200 free!” 

Jack Laugher won gold in Rio but the diver had a tough time of it in the intervening years. A mental block over a dive he messed up at the 2019 World Championships had threatened to derail his career. So a bronze medal in the 3m springboard was as meaningful as any won at these Games. 

He said: “I know it’s not a gold medal, it’s not as good as it was in Rio. But for me, this bronze medal means 100 times more than any medal I’ve ever got. 

“It’s been the worst two years of my life. It put me in a place that was just terrible – I cried myself to sleep quite a few times, I had a lot of sleepless nights.” 

GB’s success on two wheels has been incredible over the last two decades, and across all disciplines, there were 12 more medals to celebrate. 

That perfect dozen matches the number of golds in the Kenny household, Jason and Laura winning one apiece to become most successful male and female British Olympians respectively. 

Laura had won silver in her first event, the women’s team pursuit, but turned out to be prophetic about the rest of the week where she and Katie Archibald would go on to win the first women’s madison. 

She said: “It's not over until it's over. We've got two more events as women's endurance - don't count us out just yet.” 

Laura Kenny now has five Olympic golds, while Jason has seven following his remarkable keirin success on the final day of action. In typically modest fashion though, Jason admitted that he will never match his wife’s star power. 

“She's nicer than me and she's also infinitely better looking,” he joked.

“She's just a very inspiring character and totally lovely, which I guess is why I married her. I'm just a bit boring and just focus on racing.” 

There is more to cycling than the velodrome though, and GB thrived on the BMX with four medals from four events including a pair of golds. 

In the BMX racing, Kye Whyte won silver just before watching training partner Beth Shriever take gold. It was a special moment for the South London pair. 

He said: “Training with Beth is stressful. She cries, throws tantrums and gets angry very quick but she's a wonderful woman, a great training partner and now she's the best in the world and I'm not far behind. That's pretty cool for two south London kids.” 

Charlotte Worthington then wowed everyone with her 360 backflip in the BMX freestyle on her way to gold. A stunning effort for Worthington, who was working full-time as a chef when the sport was added to the Olympic programme. 

She said: “When I was working in the restaurant, BMX wasn't in the Olympics, this was just my passion.” 

BMX freestyle was one of the new additions in Tokyo, but perhaps no new sport captured the imagination like skateboarding, with Sky Brown winning bronze at the age of just 13. What’s more, she had a refreshing perspective on what sport really means. 

She said: “Honestly I just wanted to land my trick. I didn’t really care what place I got, I wanted to land my trick.” 

This was an important Olympics for families, even if Covid meant that they could not cheer on the athletes in person. Helen Glover completed the most incredible comeback as she reached the final of the women’s pairs, five years after winning her second Olympic rowing gold and retiring from the sport. 

In the intervening period, she had three children and made history as the first mother to represent GB in rowing at the Games. It was an incredible journey. 

She said: “Everyone will remember the year of the pandemic for their own reasons, but for me I’m going to think ‘that was the year that took me to another Olympics’. And that’s bonkers.”

Staying on the water, Dylan Fletcher won gold alongside Stuart Bithell in the 49er class, the beginning of a momentous few weeks - though he was not quite able to recall when his wedding to fellow Team GB sailor Charlotte Dobson was due to take place. 

He said: “It is the start of a big month. I don’t even know what date it is. Maybe three weeks until we get married.” 

On the subject of love at first sight, Charlotte Dujardin came out with this delightful quote: “The minute I clocked eyes on him, I instantly fell in love.” She was talking about Gio, of course, the horse she rode to two more Olympic medals, taking her tally to six.

Odaiba Marine Park hosted the triathlon and the marathon swimming, with 20-year-old Hector Pardoe suffering a scary injury in the latter, catching a stray elbow to the eye on the final lap which left him looking like he had gone the distance with Anthony Joshua. 

“I couldn't see anything and I thought my eye had fallen out in the water,” he said, thankfully the eye was ok despite some cuts and bruises. 

And we’ll leave you with a line that may someday be remembered with same fondness of Redgrave and Ainslie. 

Jonny Brownlee has stood on the third step and the second step of the Olympic podium behind older brother Alistair. 

In Tokyo, he finally got that Olympic gold he had been chasing, as part of GB’s triathlon mixed relay team, coming out with this classic to celebrate. 

“Olympics? Completed it.”

Tags