It’s less than a year now until the start of the summer Olympics in Japan, and athletes who are set to take the event by storm are already beginning to reach their final preparations in their training regimes. However, one of the countries that will be expecting to do better than most at the event is Great Britain. Since hosting the Olympics in 2012, their statement of ‘Inspiring a Generation’, has been gaining traction.
British Athletes To Look Out For At The 2020 Olympics
Next summer’s event will mark eight years since the London games, and there are numerous hopefuls in what is expected to be Britain’s largest-ever team for an overseas event. Team GB recorded their highest ever return at the last Olympics when they brought home 67 medals from Rio. That achievement hasn’t gone unnoticed, and the British Olympic Authority expects that 378 athletes will travel to Japan hoping to eclipse that total.
However, the BOA are more realistic with the return that they are expecting. They have stated that Rio was a phenomenal achievement and that they weren’t getting carried away, expecting the same kinds of numbers. Regardless, they are hopeful that they can reach the same ballpark figure. But, which are the athletes that could take the Olympics by storm representing team GB.
Sir Mo Farah
One of the leading hopefuls for the team in Japan will be an athlete that epitomised the London Olympics. Farah rose to superstardom in 2012 for his performances in the 5,000 and 10,000 metres. Never before has the country been so engrossed by long-distance running, but Farah made it a must-watch occasion, and who could forget that Super Saturday moment when Farah, Jessica Ennis and Greg Rutherford cemented gold’s within the same hour. Farah is double-double Olympic champion after winning the same events once again in Rio.
This achievement was a remarkable return from the Brit, with only Lass Viren of Finland being able to match that accomplishment. His last runs in these events came at the 2017 World Championships, but he was only able to catch silver in the 5,000 metres. This result ensured that Farah would refocus his efforts, and instead looks to challenge for the marathon gold in Japan. Hopes will be high since he won the 2018 Chicago Marathon in a personal best time, but an Olympic gold in this event would surely surpass everything that he has achieved previously.
Dina Asher-Smith
The Olympics are renowned for creating stars. And one athlete who seems to be waiting in the wings to take the sprinting queen title is Dina Asher-Smith. The Londoner has enjoyed an excellent past couple of years and will head into the track events as one of the favourites to win the 100m and 200m. She will come into the Olympics in the best possible form after winning gold in the 200m at the 2016 and 2018 European Championships, while also winning the 100m in the most recent Europeans. As well as this, she has won the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2018. She already has experience at the Olympics after winning bronze in the 4 X 100-metre relay. This experience would have been a steep learning curve for the then-20-year-old. She missed out narrowly on the individual medals at the same Olympics, but that experience has certainly given her the push in the competitions since.
She could be Britain’s best-ever chance to win a gold medal in these events, as she currently holds the British record for 100m and 200m. Her performances on the continent have been applauded as he was awarded the European Athlete of the Year in 2018, and was hailed by former Olympic champions Sebastian Coe as the next superstar from the track. Transitioning her form in Europe onto the global stage will be the most interesting aspect for her, but her talent is unquestionable. She will certainly be in the leading back for medals, but this could be her time to become a double Olympic champion, and you wouldn’t bet against it.
Laura Muir
One British athlete that is expected to ensure maintained focus in the long-distance track events is Laura Muir. She was touted for a medal in the 2016 Olympics but unfortunately fell just short in the 1500 metres as she finished seventh. However, this Olympics is the chance that she has been waiting for. She has the potential to be a superstar on the track, and since the 2016 Games, she has taken her performance levels to another level. She specialises in the 800m, 1500m, 3000m and 5000m, but is expected to challenge for the same event that she competed in Rio. Her preparation couldn’t have been better as she has won the 2018 European Championship gold medal in the 1500m, and has won the same accolade in the 2017 European Indoor Championships. That year she won the 1500m and 3000m double; something that she matched this year in the 2019 instalment.
She has also won the silver and bronze medals at the 2018 World Indoor Championships, and is a two-time Diamond League champion in 1500m. She won the first in 2016 with the original points format before repeating the feat in the 2018 final in the new format. She first broke the British record for the 1500m in a Diamond League meeting in London in July 2016, before breaking it again in the same season in Paris. She then broke the European indoor record for the 1000m and 3000m in 2017. She also has a best time of 4:18.03 for the Mile run which currently means she occupies a space in the all-time top 20. She will be one of the crucial members for Team GB, who have are expected to announce a squad including more women than men for the first time in their Olympic history.
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