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IN TOUCH 鈥� A Paralympics Special

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TX:听 29.12.2020听 2040-2100

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PRESENTER:听 听听听听听听听 PETER WHITE

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PRODUCER:听 听听听听听听听听听 MIKE YOUNG

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White

Good evening.听 Tonight, we look back at the 2020 Paralympics that never were and forwards to the Games that we all hope we鈥檒l see in the year to come.听 The Tokyo Games, of course, postponed for a year because of the pandemic are now planned for late August and early September 2021.听 But what impact has all of this delay and rescheduling had on the athletes themselves and the Games鈥� organisers and will the Games really go ahead next year?听 Which I think is the thing that we don鈥檛 want to contemplate a problem there.

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Tonight, we鈥檙e going to be hearing from visually impaired Paralympians and some of the people hoping to get the Tokyo show back on the road next summer.听 Paralympics GB鈥檚 Chef de Mission is Penny Briscoe and Penny, you were in Tokyo, I think, literally just before lockdown started in March.听 I mean how was it looking then and did you sense the 2020 Games were really at risk at that point?

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Briscoe

We were actually trying to complete our 鈥� what we thought 鈥� was going to be our final recce ahead of the Games, obviously later in the summer.听 When we there in March, the venues were looking spectacular, the village was looking amazing and Tokyo were very much on track to deliver the Games in the summer of 2020.听 The Games being cancelled was the right decision, absolutely.听 Ultimately, health and wellbeing had to be put first.听 So, I think it was warmly applauded in terms of the decision by athletes and national Paralympic committees around the world as the right thing to do.

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White

And how have you looked after the many athletes in the team 鈥� you know, the disappointment, the impact on their training and their funding will all have been considerable 鈥� I鈥檓 just wondering how you鈥檝e handled the last 10 months or so?

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Briscoe

You know, we had to stop, take breath and say, okay, what does this mean?听 And there were quite significant implications, both sort of financially and operationally.听 So, we moved quickly and decisively, made some tough decisions and just tried to lock down the things that we could control.听 The national governing bodies, who were obviously responsible for the preparation of the athletes, also moved really quickly, in the springtime, and made sure that athletes were in their home bases, the priority was health and wellbeing, both of the athletes and their families and those that were able, or wanted to train, the national governing bodies ensured that they 鈥� you know, pop-up home-based training bases sort of occurred everywhere.听 And the athlete experience was quite different, depending on personal circumstances but also dependent on the sport.听 So, it was easier for some of the athletes in triathlon or para-canoe to actually get out because they鈥檙e outdoor sports whereas team-based sports, indoor sports, found some of the return to training protocols quite challenging.

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White

And presumably, the difficulty must be that, as you say, it means different things to different people, some people will have been at their peak at that point and may not be now, some people the other way round and presumably, you have to reselect the team from scratch to some extent?

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Briscoe

The selection policies are the domain of the national governing bodies and as a British Paralympic Association we hadn鈥檛 actually selected any athletes in March.听 On a really positive note, we鈥檒l be moving into 2021 and in January announcing the first athletes on the team sheet.

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White

Right, well let鈥檚 hear a little from individuals.听 Chris Skelley 鈥� Chris is aiming for Paralympic success in judo, a sport, of course, in which historically GB visually impaired competitors have done particularly well.听 Now Chris is in the under-100 kilo category, that鈥檚 one of the heaviest divisions, he鈥檚 training in Holland right now, so, we caught up with him in advance a bit earlier for a chat and to see how that training is going.

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Skelley

I competed in Rio in 2016 and it was one of the best experiences of my life, the best experience.听 I can鈥檛 tell you what it feels like to have 鈥� well it must have been about 9,000 Brazilians booing you when you鈥檙e going to step out onto the judo mat and it was the most scary but best feeling.听 I鈥檝e never really competed in front of a crowd because visually impaired judo don鈥檛 get much kind of crowds to the competition, so it was a really, really special moment.听 Sadly, I didn鈥檛 get a medal but I鈥檝e got two world medals since then and in the last year became world number one.听 It鈥檚 been quite a rollercoaster few years.听 I鈥檓 really looking forward to the Paralympics in 2021.听 Here is a taster, in my training session, with my coach.

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Actuality 鈥� training session

Go on then Chris.听 Nice.听 Nice, I like that.

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Johns

My name鈥檚 Ian Johns and I am the Paralympic head coach for GB.听 My job is to ensure that we get fighters from grass roots all the way through to Paralympic podiums.

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Actuality 鈥� training session

Right, go on then, go again.听 So, I was just saying there Skel about how Harry was fighting you and very much like the Russian boys you鈥檙e going to have to face if you go to the Games.听 What was so Russian about him?

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He鈥檚 tall, he鈥檚 lengthy switches.听 So, the Russian boy switches quite a bit.听 And he鈥檚 got long limbs, so you鈥檙e think you鈥檙e safe but you鈥檙e not.

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Going on then, you鈥檝e got your grip, go, go, go.

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What was you doing to counter his right high grip?

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Either, to counter his right high grip, I鈥檇 have to control the shoulder, his right shoulder and on your terms you can engage him.

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Go on then, go again.

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Johns

So Skelley is currently working on how to throw big.听 He is world class in ground fighting, at the minute, which is the two parts of judo.听 He鈥檚 really trying to work hard on how to throw people.

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Nice, go on, go on, go on.

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Been working on this really hard as well, so hopefully that鈥檒l be the final ingredient to take him from Paralympic medallist to Paralympic champion.听 Let鈥檚 see eh.

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Skelley

When it originally got announced that it was being postponed obviously, I think, a lot of us was quite upset.听 Really it was a blessing in disguise and it鈥檚 given me a whole year to get a little bit stronger in the areas that I need to get stronger in.听 Yes, it鈥檚 been postponed but I鈥檝e got another year to get better.

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White

Which only goes to show that blessings can come in some pretty strange disguises.听 Our thanks to Chris Skelley and his coach Ian Johns.

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Well, also, joining us today is one of the 鈥� probably the best known visually impaired athletes of all, runner Libby Clegg, who has silver medals from the Beijing and London Games and golds from Rio in the T11 100 metres and 200 metres.听 Here鈥檚 a little of the atmosphere from the London Games in 2012 when Libby appeared on In Touch back then.

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Clip 鈥� London Games 2012

I鈥檓 really proud of myself, I think we gave 鈥� you know 鈥� it was a tough race, we gave the best performance we possibly could and we came away with the silver.听 The Chinese were absolutely incredible and they鈥檝e been a fantastic competitor and I hope to have 鈥� see them again next year at the world championships.

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Does that bring it all back Libby?

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Clegg

It does.听 What you actually wouldn鈥檛 have known after that is I literally walked back to the warm up track crying my eyes out because I was absolutely devastated that I鈥檇 just missed out on the gold and I don鈥檛 think it really hit me until I started to get my kit back on.听 I went back, obviously, after that and worked on a few things and changed and tweaked a bit of my training and, yeah, obviously then going into Rio in 2016 I was very successful.

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White

Very successful.听 Tell me, what did you make of what Chris Skelley was saying to us, Libby, you know, he鈥檚 rather grateful for having had a year鈥檚 delay with the 2020 Games now in 2021, to get him better and stronger, as he put it, how has that worked for you?

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Clegg

To be honest, I was planning on winding it down a bit and hopefully retiring from athletics obviously in September just gone, so I was actually pretty gutted.听 Also, I鈥檇 done a lot of work, I鈥檇 been on Dancing on Ice, I was definitely in the best shape I鈥檇 been in, in a long time and I was hoping to continue that on into my athletics season, so I was absolutely devastated.听 And also, I was wanting to spend more time with my son.

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White

Because your son is still pretty small isn鈥檛 he, he鈥檚 only a baby.

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Clegg

He鈥檚 only a baby, he鈥檚 about 20 months old now, so, yeah, he鈥檚 still quite young.

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White

In 2020 you weren鈥檛 able to train, I think, alongside your guide runner 鈥� Chris Clark 鈥� for much of the time because of social distancing, so, I guess that鈥檚 another reason why, in a way, this may be could work out, we hope, better.

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Clegg

Definitely, most of my training is done with my guide runner, Chris, so, especially with the social distancing not being able to even run alongside one another, meant that I wasn鈥檛 able to work to the best of my ability in my training sessions.听 So, for me, having an extra year now really beneficial going into next year.听 It means we鈥檒l have better competition prep and that kind of thing.听 So, it would have been a rush if we鈥檇 tried to compete this year, so I鈥檓 very grateful that we don鈥檛 have to do that.

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White

So, you said, in a way, you were thinking of 2020 being your last, will 鈥�21 be your last Games, at least as a runner?

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Clegg

I鈥檓 pretty sure I鈥檓 going to call it a day in September from athletics.听 I feel like I鈥檝e given a lot of my life to it and I feel like I鈥檓 ready for something new, a different challenge, so we鈥檒l see.听 It might not be the last of me but more than likely on the track.

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White

Right, so this is a hint you鈥檙e thinking of maybe another sport, which happens quite a lot in Paralympics, doesn鈥檛 it, can you give us any clue of what you might be considering?

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Clegg

I鈥檇 definitely like to have a go at track cycling, I think I鈥檇 transfer reasonably well but who knows, I鈥檝e never done it before.听 So, I鈥檇 like to have a go at it and see if it鈥檚 something that I鈥檇 be interested in doing and try a sport that potentially has a little less impact on my ageing body.

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White

I think we may hear a bit more about ageing bodies as time goes on but is that because, in a way, I mean, the Paralympics is very special to people, is it that you just don鈥檛 want to give it up?

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Clegg

From the very first Games that I went to in 2008, in Beijing, I got an absolute buzz from competing in front of 80-90,000 people.听 You chase that high for every four years and that鈥檚 what I love about it, it鈥檚 the atmosphere, it鈥檚 the sense of being a part of a massive team and just there鈥檚 so many incredible and inspirational people, it鈥檚 fantastic just being in that environment.

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White

Well, before we let you go Libby, your partner, Dan, Dan Powell, is also visually impaired and is in the GB Paralympic judo team, so it would be very rude not to hear from him as well.听 Dan, the Tokyo Games were supposed to be a really family affair then for you both.

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Powell

Yeah, definitely, I was massively gearing up for the Games, I was counting down the Monday mornings that I had to get up and put me body through hell, you know, doing such a high impact sport like judo.听 I鈥檓 approaching 30 now but some days, especially when it gets to a Friday, after a heavy week鈥檚 training, I wake up and I feel double that age at least.

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White

So, you and Libby, you鈥檝e both got ageing bodies then?

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Powell

Yeah and our little boy鈥�

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White

That鈥檚 not very chivalrous of me is it really?

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Powell

Well, you know, as you say, and Libby says, we鈥檝e got our little boy as well, he鈥檚 20 months old and he is keeping us on our toes and he鈥檚 been me only little training partner over the last six to 10 months.听 He鈥檚 getting a bit big now, I think he鈥檒l have me in the next year, so we need to get this Games out the way.

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White

Can I just ask you 鈥� why is judo such a good sport for visually impaired people, do you think?

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Powell

Especially for visually people 鈥� it鈥檚 probably the closest sport in terms of its mainstream counterpart.听 The only difference is the fact that you start a lot closer together instead of separated, like you do in the mainstream game.听 And I think that鈥檚 why there鈥檚 such a high amount of talent that crosses over from mainstream level to Para-side as well.听 In our country, me and the lads we fight nationally on the mainstream side of things, just to get that quality that we wouldn鈥檛 get if we鈥檙e constantly fighting at visually impaired level.

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White

Medal chances?听 I mean are you going to match Libby鈥檚 two golds, that she鈥檚 obviously going to get?

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Powell

Got a bit of catching up to do, haven鈥檛 I?听 I鈥檝e done a bit of a clear out of a load of stuff, load of old memory boxes and stuff and I came across my seventh place from London 2012 and I said to Libby 鈥� I can鈥檛 put that on the wall next to your two gold medals, can I?听 So, I need to pull something out of the bag, I鈥檇 love to cap my judo career off with a nice shiny thing around my neck, so that would be lovely.

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White

Yeah, you鈥檒l have to get a bigger wall the two of you.听 But Dan and Libby, thank you very much for joining us on this.听 I just want to go back to Penny Briscoe briefly.听 Penny, you鈥檙e Paralympic Chef de Mission, what do you make of all that 鈥� the passion is there from the athletes 鈥� can the Tokyo Games be made to work do you think?

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Briscoe

Absolutely.听 I think there鈥檚 a huge amount of excitement in terms of the Games in Tokyo.听 Andrew Parsons, the Chair of IPC, talks about a celebration of the resilience of humanity and the Governor of Tokyo is certainly saying Tokyo will be a Games of hope.听 I think from our perspective, we鈥檙e really looking forward, the conditions need to be right in terms of the sort of covid secure environment, which the organising committee 鈥� the IOC, IPC 鈥� have been working on.听 And I think the points that have been made by the athletes today, are quite right, that 鈥渞eady plus鈥� is one of the mottos, we鈥檝e had an extra year to prepare and our ambition is to be best prepared and I think that in 2021 we鈥檒l be taking a very strong team to Tokyo.听 We have medal potential throughout the sports and we鈥檒l be looking to recreate some of the medal success from Rio but also to celebrate Para sport at its best.

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White

I just want to end with someone who perhaps has almost done everything in Paralympic sport 鈥� Tim Reddish, winner of numerous swimming medals in three Paralympics and now a member of the International Paralympic Committee governing body.听 Tim, we chatted in the summer and I know that you鈥檝e been to Tokyo and I know you were really impressed with the level of preparation that there was, particularly the access that they were providing.

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Reddish

They are and they鈥檙e focusing on a lot of different things.听 And just to hopefully, if you don鈥檛 mind 鈥� well, first of all, you鈥檝e come to me because I鈥檓 the aged one, I鈥檓 the oldest but I did go for a swim this morning everybody, by the way.听 But anyway鈥�

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White

You were in the Athens one weren鈥檛 you, the original one in 96 BC or鈥�

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Reddish

Yeah, that鈥檚 the one, yeah.听 Anyway, so realistically 鈥� what we鈥檝e got to think about is that the IPC and the organising committees they鈥檙e absolutely fantastic at organising Games but the Paralympic Games give an opportunity for Games plus.听 And there are a lot of things that we can try to influence and one of them you spoke about is accessibility and accessibility comes in all sorts of shapes and forms.听 They鈥檙e trying to get things as best they can because their hotels aren鈥檛 best, let鈥檚 be honest, and they鈥檝e looked to that but they鈥檝e put in laws in place that obviously through universal design in the future, it will be better.听 And one of the challenges that obviously the postponement鈥檚 put in place is that we鈥檙e trying to make the Games more cost effective, so that it can be more diverse for different nations around the world but because of the pandemic, the cost has now gone up again.听 And that鈥檚 a challenge.

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White

Do you envisage a smaller scale Games than was originally planned?听 I mean, let鈥檚 face it, some Paralympic athletes who鈥檝e got serious health conditions, for example, may still not be able to get there, as spectator numbers may still have to be reduced, are these things that are all going to have to be thought about?

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Reddish

Yeah and the working through all those things.听 And people are asking can we be told this now but the thing that we鈥檙e worried about is giving people part information.听 So, for example, I said earlier about we鈥檙e very, very good and organising committees are exceptionally good at running Games.听 Now they鈥檝e got to become the world鈥檚 expert in infection prevention with a pandemic.听 So, that鈥檚 the overlay on top.听 So, think about when you have the Games you normally might have a volunteer cleaner come in a couple of times a week, well all those things change now because of the pandemic and everything else.听 And also, crowds 鈥� we鈥檙e learning from all different sports.听 So, we don鈥檛 know for definite yet, because we鈥檙e still waiting for Tokyo to confirm, but it is likely 鈥� and this is me saying this, there鈥檚 no guarantees here 鈥� that the crowds will be smaller.听 I don鈥檛 think we need to worry about the numbers, I think the one thing that will be absolutely spot on will be the enthusiasm of the people from Japan and those that do travel.听 And we鈥檝e got to be mindful of their health and wellbeing.

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White

In your bones, do you think that this Games is going to take place okay?

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Reddish

Yes, yeah.听 It won鈥檛 be for the want of not trying to put everything in place because if you think of the culture of Tokyo and Japan and Asia, they want to do it right and they will do everything they can to make it happen.听 And the IOC have been absolutely fantastic around this, they may not have worked as quick as some of the athletes would like and some of the federations, like the BPA, but they won鈥檛 leave anything to chance, they鈥檒l put everything in place.

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White

Tim Reddish, thank you very much for ending on an optimistic note.听 And also, my thanks to Penny Briscoe, to Libby Clegg, Dan Powell, Chris Skelley and his trainer Tim [sic] Johns.听 Here鈥檚 hoping it will be a successful and covid-free Paralympics beckoning in 2021.听 And we鈥檙e planning on reporting it for you on In Touch of course.

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Our email is intouch@bbc.co.uk, if you鈥檇 like to drop us a line and we鈥檒l look forward to being with you once again in the new year.听 From me, Peter White, my producer, Mike Young, all our guests and studio manager, Owyn Williams, goodbye.