Comments from Team GB athletes after today’s morning events at Tokyo 2020
Shooting
Comments from Team GB shooter Seonaid McIntosh after today’s 10m Air Rifle Women’s Qualification at the Asaka Shooting Range
Seonaid McIntosh
Age: 25 Hometown: Edinburgh
Result: Finished 12th in qualifying with a score of 627.2. The top eight progressed to the final. McIntosh also competes in the 50m Rifle 3 positions next Saturday.
On her performance
“I struggled a bit with fatigue and the heat.
“I’m mostly happy with how I fought through it
and while the last couple of shots weren’t great, I’m pleased with how I performed.“If you’d have asked me a year ago I would have said this was a sighter for the 50m but the last year this event has got a lot better and I knew I was perfectly capable of winning a medal.
“I don’t really know about next week - I need to process this first and work out what to take forward. It’s a very different event and it’s about keeping that fight.”
On being the first Team GB medal hope
“I don’t think it was a factor, my sister has been in the same position and it’s not a thing you think about unless you let yourself.”
Archery
Comments from Team GB archers Patrick Huston and Sarah Bettles after their mixed team 1/8 Eliminations contest at Yumenoshima Final Field.
Result: Beat China 5-3 in the Mixed Team archery 1/8 Elimination match to advance to the quarter-finals, where they will play Mexico at 2.15pm today (local time, Saturday).
Patrick Huston
Age: 25 Hometown: Belfast
On their victory over China
“I think we shot at a really high standard – the two of us have some exceptional archery within us and we demonstrated that with really tight, consistent groups.
“There were a couple of errors on my side but Sarah put in the arrows to take those sets and then towards the end, we focused in as it got tighter and tighter and we ended up with the result we wanted.”
Sarah Bettles
Age: 28 Hometown: Telford
On whether victory over China gives her confidence
“I don’t know about confidence but it’s definitely a good feeling and helping the confidence! I’m the sort of person who is perpetually nervous but it kind of works in my favour because it helps me to zone in.”
On competing with no fans
“I enjoy it without the fans! Don’t get me wrong, I do love the atmosphere when the fans are there but I don’t always notice it because I kind of just zone in on me and the target and I forget about the fans.
“It’s only really when we’re standing, talking, not shooting that I’d notice people around. We still had some of our team sat up there, which was nice anyway.”
Badminton
Comments from Team GB badminton players after today’s group matches at the Musashino Forest Sport Plaza BDM
Marcus Ellis
Age: 31 Hometown: Huddersfield
Result: Won 21-18 21-17 against France’s Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue in Mixed Doubles Group B, alongside Lauren Smith
On the performance
"We started the match very well. The French pair looked quite nervous, you could see this was a big occasion for them, as it is for everybody.
“We were hoping to draw on our previous Olympic experience to know how to deal with the situation.
“We put in a good performance. Under the circumstances, we have to see that as a positive start.”
On the flow of the match
"We knew Thom is a very strong guy with a good attack. There were periods when we were really fighting for the lift.
“As the shuttles slowed down a little bit and we had slightly longer rallies, that suited us as well. For us going forward, getting into that game we want to play is going to be key.
“This hall is really good for us. If we focus on our own game, we'll put in a good performance.”
Lauren Smith
Age: 29 Hometown: Carlisle
Result: Won 21-18 21-17 against France’s Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue in Mixed Doubles Group B, alongside Marcus Ellis
On previous Olympic experience
"We've played them a handful of times, but not for a long time and they have been improving.
“We knew we'd have to play well but also that we had a lot more experience, especially in an Olympic environment. I think we tried to use that to our advantage. As much as they're improving, we had to focus on ourselves.
“Whoever it is on the other side of the court, we want to play to our best and our tactics, our style. That was the big focus.
“We gave a little bit of thought to how to play them specifically. A lot of thought was about what's going to get the best out of us.
On lack of Olympic nerves
"We weren't nervous in particular. Something that Marcus said about the Olympics that I remember is that the hardest part was to qualify.
“When you're here, it's all a bonus. There's no point wasting this opportunity and this experience, something we've worked for for two years now, by being nervous.
“We just went on there and just played, tried to put our best performance in and it paid off in the end.”
Rowing
Comments from Team GB rowers after today’s events at the Sea Forest Waterway
Helen Glover
Age: 35 Hometown: Truro
Result: Third in Heat 3 in a time of 7:23.98 to qualify for the Women’s Pair semi-finals, alongside Polly Swann
On their first race
“It’s good to progress to the next round. I feel like we both know there is more to come, it wasn’t our perfect row but I guess there’s definitely value in learning in the early rounds. So we’re open to what is going to come next.
“We know we’ve done better in training, we know we’ve felt more together in training, which is actually positive. It would be more frustrating if we’d had a perfect row where we didn’t have anything to improve on.”
On her family
“It’s Logan’s birthday today, he’s three today. So there are so many more important things going on than just racing a heat in Tokyo.
“There’s my little boy at home, we’ll celebrate when I get back. When I think about what they all mean to me, especially on a day like his birthday, everything I do out there on the water is definitely for them.
“The twins are too young, so they are just toddling around, not knowing what’s going on. Logan sent a video message last night and said he was proud of me.
“A big part of wanting to do this was to bring them along for the journey and I think now they are seeing the fruits of the labour of the ergos in the living room and the watt bike in the utility room, and lifting weights between making their dinner.
“It makes sense a little bit. Putting all that hard work into the journey with them alongside me is key.
“I’ll get Polly to sing happy birthday to him with me later. But especially because Steve is home with them, they are fine. They will see mummy on the phone and they are happy.”
Polly Swann
Age: 33 Hometown: Lancaster
Result: Third in Heat 3 in a time of 7:23.98 to qualify for the Women’s Pair semi-finals, alongside Helen Glover
On the support
“It’s been phenomenal how many people have reached out and offered their support. “It’s really quite touching. It’s a really lovely thing to have on the start line with you, that knowledge that people have got your back and wish you well. It’s a lovely sensation.”
Judo
Comments from Team GB judoka Ashley McKenzie after today’s event at the Nippon Budokan
Ashley McKenzie
Age: 32 Hometown: Queen’s Park
Result: Lost in Round of 32 to Karamat Huseynov by Waza-Ari / Seio-nage
On the event
“At the moment, obviously I’m sad. I’ve put in a lot of work for this one tournament, there were loads of things that went wrong when I got over here and I just pushed them aside.
“I just tried not to let them affect me, due to Covid stuff. I just feel a bit sorry for the people that have put so much energy into me – the arguments that I had at home, my mum and everyone that loves me.
“It just hurts to see that – they’ve probably woken up to watch me and I had one fight and it didn’t go the way I wanted it to. I just want to go home, that’s it.”
Tennis
Comments from Team GB tennis player Heather Watson after her Women’s Singles First Round match at Ariake Tennis Park.
Heather Watson
Age: 29 Hometown: Guernsey: St Peter Port
Result: Lost to Germany’s Anna-Lena Friedsam 7-6 (7-5), 6-3
On the match
“I think whoever I played, I would have been really disappointed with the outcome today. It definitely wasn’t my best tennis but I gave it my best with what I had, it just wasn’t enough.
“There were too many unforced errors that came and went in waves. I am just very disappointed with the outcome.”
On preparations for today’s match
“I did everything I could to prepare right and I literally could not have done any more. I felt really good going out there today.”
On the Tokyo heat.
“It was the same for both players but it did change the game a little. It became a fitness contest, but it was the same for both and I don’t mind the heat so I was prepared.”
On the prospect of playing in the Mixed Doubles
“I think 100% I will try to sign up with someone. I am guessing I will have more chance to get in ranking-wise with Joe [Salisbury] and so fingers crossed we get the chance to play.
“I always seem to play well on the doubles court. I feel like I am a team player and I like volleying a lot and that brings it out in my game”
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