WITH DUE RESPECT
Scots ace Aileen: Paralympians not treated as equals
PARALYMPIC athletes still aren’t getting due respect for their athletic achievements, Scots cycling star Aileen McGlynn claims.
The triple gold medallist starts her fourth Games tonight with the 48-yearold’s main Tokyo target in the 1000m time trial.
But despite success that includes four world titles, McGlynn reckons there’s second-class treatment being dished out.
She said: “I still think people’s perceptions of an Olympic athlete are higher up than a Paralympic athlete. I don’t think that is equal yet, just the stuff the Olympians receive, compared to Paralympians in terms of spin-offs.
“My perception is it’s that way. Maybe there’s always going to be a difference. But I’m just happy to be able to do what I’m doing to be honest.”
McGlynn thought it was Games over when she was axed from Lottery funding despite two medals at London 2012 then left off Team GB at Rio 2016.
She only came back to cycling last year when Sophie Thornhill retired and the call went out for replacements.
McGlynn said: “I’m a landlady. I’ve been buying some properties since 2013. Then every so often, like when I find out there’s tandem events at the next Commonwealth Games, I start training again.
“I didn’t even know there we tandem events in next year’s Commonwealths until July last year. So I did think all my opportunities had gone really.
“I was asked if I was still cycling and would I be interested in trying out on a tandem again. They were doing a testing day in August and I thought it was one of those things I might always wonder about if I said no.”
She’s part of a three-way British tilt in the visuallyimpaired kilo with English rivals Lora Fachie and Sophie Unwin also hunting what could be the first UK gold of the Tokyo Games.
But McGlynn and pilot Helen Scott are staying chilled before the heat is cranked up at Izu Velodrome. She said: “Going to London in 2012 there was quite a high expectation to come away with a gold medal and so coming away with silver and bronze felt at that point like a bit of a failure.
“So we both want to go and enjoy the experience.
“We’ll just do what we can do on the day and then if we can get a medal, that’s
fantastic.”