Don’t mind doing it for the kids: Seven prospects for Tokyo 2021

FOR some athletes approaching the tail-end of their careers, the announcement of the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics will have come as a hammer-blow.

But others, for whom the Games looked set to arrive a little too early, the re-scheduling to July 23 and August 8 next year gives them the opportunity to transform from long-shot into realistic contender.

Here we pick out seven British athletes for whom the Tokyo 2020 Olympics can’t come a moment too late.

THE 19-year-old is considered the next big thing of British swimming – and the Tokyo delay should enable her to make a bigger splash. The freestyle star finished fourth in her senior European debut in Glasgow in 2018, and followed that up last year with a World Championship relay bronze. Anderson has the attributes to move on to further, individual success.

The 22-year-old cyclist Carlin has been sitting on the shoulder of Jason Kenny for some time, and the extra months could prove crucial in his quest to usurp his illustrious rival. Kenny, 32, will not be grateful for the delay, and Carlin may be the man to deny him the gold he needs to move ahead of his former team-mate Sir Chris Hoy.

The 22-year-old Scot shaved a remarkable four seconds off her personal best when she won an 800m race in Glasgow in February, beating Laura Muir in the process. Reekie’s remarkable rise put the focus firmly on her controversial Nike Vaporfly running shoes – but two further personal bests emphasised her potential to maintain her steep trajectory towards the re-arranged

Tokyo date.