Forbes-cryans inspired by Scots medallists in bid for Tokyo glory
Scotland’s storied Olympic canoeing legacy is fuelling Bradley Forbes-cryans’ pursuit of Tokyo 2020 nirvana.
The 26-year-old from Roslin, Midlothian, has been selected alongside Adam Burgess, Mallory Franklin and Kimberley Woods in a four-strong slalom team set to travel to Tokyo.
Forbes-cryans was crowned world champion in the K1 team event three years ago and won’t ever forget watching fellow scot David Florence, from Aberdeen,scoop a hat-trick of olympic silver medal sin the C 1 and C2 disciplines in Beijing, London and Rio.
Campbell Walsh, from Glasgow, claimed K1 silver at Athens 2004 and Forbes-cryans, 26, says memories of watching his compatriots in the water are intensifying his hunger for glory.
He said: “One year after I got into the sport was when Campbell Walsh won his Olympic silver medal in Athens.
“Since then, we've had David Florence – who has won three consecutive Olympic silver medals. So those two Scottish athletes have driven me to want to emu late their performances, and hopefully go one better.
“Other sporting heroes of mine are Chris Hoy, who is one of Great Britain's most decoratedolympiansandisfromedinburgh,wherei'mfrom.it'sreally driven me to want to do my best at the Olympics.
“The Olympics is the highest honour - being able to represent your country at an Olympic Games, I struggle to put the emotions of that into words sometimes.
“It's just amazing being able to represent your country at the highest level.”
Forbes-cryans initially though the would be pushed for preparation time when he was originally selected. his selection for Japan was confirmed back in october 2019 after he finished fourth in the world championships in Spain. “From there, I thought that the Olympics were going to roll round really quickly and almost felt I didn't have enough time to prepare,” he said.
“Little did I know there would be a global pandemic, but the extra time to prepare hasn't been all that great because our training venue at the Lee Valley Water centre was closed for three or four months.
“We couldn't get on the water, so I had a gym installed in my flat with the help of British Canoeing with the goal of getting as strong and physically fit a si possibly could in that period I wasn' t able to get on the water.i fee lid ida really good job of that, and when I did get the opportunityto get back onto the water it was all focused on the canoeing and trying to lift that technical level again."
A year’s delay due to Covid-19 put paid to that worry, but now he’ s ra ring togo. forbes-cry ans is in his fifth year on the British senior team and he knows the Kasai canoe slalom course like the back of his hand.
“I'm looking forward to revisiting the Olympic course out there which I'm going to compete on ,” he added .“we' ve done two previous training camps out there, and I'm just looking forward to getting back into the groove of that course.
“I just want to soak up the wholeexperience–andi'mcertain the Japanese are going to put on a fantastic event.”
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