Everything To Look Out For At The Olympics
The New Sports
The International Olympics Committee (IOC) approves new sports for each Games, and there a few additions this year, explains five-time Olympic gold medallist Sir Steve Redgrave. “Breaking is a form of street dance debuting at this year’s Games. It joins the urban sports schedule with skateboarding, sport climbing and BMX freestyle. We also have kayak cross for the first time, in which four athletes compete against each other on a white-water course with gates and a kayak roll. That’s definitely one to watch, as is ‘Formula kite’ – otherwise known as kite surfing.”
Though the main action will take place in and around the French capital, some of the water sports are being hosted elsewhere. “Surfing will take place nearly 10,000 miles away in Teahupo'o reef pass, Tahiti, French Polynesia,” says Brian Johns, head of coaching science at Form. “It breaks the record for the farthest medal competition to be staged from the host city.”
“I’m looking forward to watching Taylor Knibb from the US,” reveals Ross McGraw, Global VP and head of sports tech company CORE. “He’s qualified in two events this year: the triathlon and road cycling. On the road, I’ll also be keeping a close eye on Remco Evenepoel, who was a front runner in this month’s Tour de France. He leads the Belgian men's cycling team.” Ross also has high hopes for Norwegian triathlete Kristian Blummenfelt: “The defending gold medallist has a really interesting story. He and his coach Olav Alexander Bu became known for their ‘Norwegian method’ of scientific training and used this to transition to long-course Ironman triathlons, then back again to short-course racing. This is previously unheard of. Speaking of Norwegians, I can’t wait to watch Jakob Ingebrigtsen versus Team GB’s Josh Kerr in the 1,500m on the track. Kerr won bronze in Tokyo and has since become world champion, narrowly beating Ingebrigtsen in the final. It’s going to be one of the races to watch.”
Who Will Dominate?
“The USA will be at the top of the table on medals,” explains Steve. “That said, China may challenge on the number of golds. I also expect France will increase their medal tally of ten golds from Tokyo – the host nation should perform better in front of a home crowd. Conversely, it’ll be interesting to see if Japan can maintain the 58 medals they received at their own Games. With only three years since the last Olympics, I wonder how much the table will change. I’m not expecting any surprises from nations across the board. I do, however, think the Netherlands will move up the table. As for Team GB, we’ll be doing our very best to top our performances and podium wins.” Ross too expects “big things” from Team GB, “who are expected to do well, particularly in triathlon events and open water swimming.”
The Brits To Know
“Adam Peaty is always one of Team GB’s best hopes,” says Steve. “He’s the defending 100m breaststroke champion, after winning big at Rio and Tokyo. Then there’s windsurfer Emma Wilson, who won bronze in Tokyo and has been doing everything in her power to upgrade to a gold. Over on the track, Beth Potter is expected to ace the triathlon. Seven years ago, she didn’t own a bike, and now she’s a favourite of mine among the athletes expected to win an Olympic gold. I also have to mention Emily Craig and Imogen Grant, reigning world rowing champions of the lightweight women’s double. They’ve dominated the sport for the last three years and missed out on a Tokyo medal by 0.01 seconds. I can’t see anyone beating them at Paris. And finally, Toby Roberts is just 19 years old and the first British male climber to qualify for the Olympics. He will compete in the new boulder and lead discipline, with speed now a separate event. I can’t wait to watch both.”
The Key Stories To Follow
Pay particular attention to what goes down in the pool, suggests Brian. “The heat will be on between swimmers Ariarne Titmus, Katie Ledecky and Summer McIntosh who will all be competing in the 400 freestyle. In the 100 back, I expect a tight race between Regan Smith, Kaylee McKeown and Kylie Masse. Smith and McKeown have been trading world records over the last five years and there’s usually only a few tenths of a second between them. McKeown won in 2020 but Smith is the current record holder, so it’ll be a tight race.”
Brian also highlights the fierce rivalry in the pool between the USA and Australia. “This time, it’s more of a war of words between two retired legends: Michael Phelps and Cate Campbell.” The pair recently got into a heated spat.
Another talking point will be the weather. Unlike our washout summer, Paris is expecting an unprecedented heatwave over the next few weeks. Temperatures could reach 42°C+, bringing challenging conditions for athletes. Many events now have temperature thresholds to keep athletes safe against extreme heat, and numerous events will take place during cooler times of the day. Ross emphasises that heat training, as a result, is now more important than ever: “Endurance races like triathlons, running, and cycling – that are at the mercy of the heat – will be even more challenging.”
MORGAN HARLOW
The Controversies
Rio’s ‘green’ Olympic swimming pool, pandemic delays at Tokyo, empty seats in London… Olympic controversies are inevitable, and the Paris Games are no exception, explains Brian. “One of the main concerns has come from reports that the water quality of the Seine, where triathlon and marathon swimming is due to take place, is extremely poor. It has previously shown unsafe levels of E. coli and other harmful bacteria. There’s a major clean-up operation ahead of the Games, and the most recent reports show signs of improvements following the sunnier weather and warmer temperatures, providing safer swimming conditions. Let’s hope that continues.”
And then, says Brian, “There’s the ongoing Chinese doping scandal which involved much of the 2020 Chinese Olympic team. Twenty-three swimmers tested positive for the same banned substance. China’s explanation was that its athletes ate contaminated food during a training camp and the World Anti-Doping Agency accepted that explanation. The reports of these tests did not come out until two months ago. Ledecky, Phelps and other American swimmers have been vocal about the lack of transparency, while others pointed out double standards – others in similar circumstances have historically been banned or stripped of medals.”
FLORA METAYER
And Don’t Miss The Opening Ceremony…
Paris has no shortage of tourists, but an extra 11 million visitors are expected to visit the French capital over the summer. More than 1 billion people are expected to tune in over the course of the Games, starting with the opening ceremony on Friday, which will look a little different to traditional ceremonies. As Steve explains, “The opening ceremony isn’t taking place in a stadium, and will instead be performed along the Seine, with dozens of boats carrying thousands of athletes. It could be a game changer, and certainly shows how countries can engage with the spectacle in a totally new way.”
The Games start on Friday 26th July. Tune into BBC1 when coverage kicks off at 5.45pm.
Sir Steve Redgrave is a supporter of National Lottery. National Lottery players raise more than £30M a week for Good Causes and support our Olympic athletes to live their dreams and make the nation proud. For details LotteryGoodCauses.org.uk
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