The weight of expectation is part of the experience and so I’m backing Emma Finucane to lead Team GB’s rush for medals
The Paris Olympics are here, at last, and it’s strange to admit that I am excited rather than nervous. It’s taken me 12 years to reach this point. I am proud to have won five gold medals at three successive Olympic Games in London, Rio and Tokyo but I’ve also got one title that you might not expect. On the surface I was pretty good at looking confident and relaxed but, deep down, I always thought I was the most nervous Olympic champion you could ever meet.
I would be sick with nerves before a race while my hands were sweaty and shaking. But one thing made a difference. I was able to understand that this was normal at the Olympics.