If I get to another Olympic Games, please remind me to avoid any BBC documentaries in the build-up!
Two of the big ones pre-Tokyo featured Jade Jones and Helen Glover and neither were able to complete the fairytale ending and make it three gold medals in a row.
They haven’t got anything to beat themselves up about and their incredible achievements and legacies are intact.
For Helen to get as far as she did – and as close to a medal as she did – with Polly Swann was very impressive.
Who knows, maybe if she’d had a bit longer to get into full-time athlete mode she could have done it.
"You can do anything you want to do. Trying and failing is no problem as long as you try"
Helen Glover ❤️https://t.co/kRBjY6uBwX#Tokyo2020 #bbcolympics pic.twitter.com/CWRGQpqOsS
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 29, 2021
But the message she has put out there about what you can do so soon after having three babies if you’ve got the dedication, drive and family support is one that will have made more of an impact than the stories of her two rowing golds.
As she put it, she was pretty certain she’d win at London and Rio but this was something else entirely.
There will be no regrets and what a life lesson she has given her three young children and so many others who will never even meet her.
Maybe having that family support out in Japan would have pushed her on to get on the podium.
It’s one of the many different factors that make this a unique Olympics.
So much that is usually taken for granted – like seeing familiar faces in the crowd – have been stripped away.
It’s clearly had a big effect on Jade.
She said as much herself.
Athletes love routine
You could see in the documentary that her support network has been such a big part of her sporting journey.
And she mentioned how important it was to see the likes of her grandad to settle her nerves down and remind her how good she is at Taekwondo.
Being denied that had an impact – probably more than even she expected.
And going in against a talented opponent in her first match of the Olympics, you can see how she ended up dropping her level enough to be knocked out.
It’s not about mental weakness. It’s about habits built-up over many years being broken.
Athletes love routine.
Home sweet home 🇬🇧 we win together lose together, thanks for your unwavering love and support ❤️#familybusiness pic.twitter.com/iemzd6OVY2
— Jade Jones (@jadejonestkd) July 29, 2021
My mum and dad have been there when I’ve won junior events, when I’ve won my World gold, European golds and Olympic bronze.
I’m not someone who goes and speaks to them after every game but just knowing they are there is a big thing.
And that not being the case felt weird in Canada for the last Worlds in the Calgary bubble.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that we’re seeing a lot of first-time winners at these Olympics and it will be interesting to see if the stats back that up at the end of the Games.
It could well be that everything being new – and not knowing what a usual Olympics feels like – is a big benefit.
It looks like we’re going to have a few events to look forward to.
There’s going to be a European Super Series which will be like Grand Slam events for this continent.
And the first of them has been given the green light for Stirling at the start of September.
There will be some big-name teams coming across and it will be an ideal way to get the season going.
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