Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
FORGET MEDALS... BE ROLE MODELS
OLYMPIC GAMES: BRIT CHIEF CALLS FOR CHANGE IN FACE OF PANDEMIC & ABUSE INQUIRIES
TEAM GB boss Mark England says Britain’s Olympians will want for nothing when the Tokyo Games finally start a year from today.
But given the global crisis he has asked whether it is time to ease off on the focus on medal supremacy.
Britain has gone from fourth (Beijing), to third (London) to second (Rio) in the medal table over the last three Olympics.
But with success has come allegations of physical abuse and bullying at British Gymnastics as well as further inquiries into bullying in British Cycling, British Canoeing and British Swimming. With the devastating effects of coronavirus putting winning and losing at sport into perspective, England said: “I just wonder whether it’s time for the narrative to change.
“There’s 45,000 people who have died in this country, hundreds of thousands have died across the world. A pandemic is still ravaging parts of the world.
“Is it time for that narrative to change to Team GB athletes being role models rather than just medal focused? This is an opportunity to see what’s right and important.”
England, Team GB’S chef de mission, is clear that abuse and bullying have “no place” in the Olympics movement.
“The Olympics stands for something greater than the pursuit of medals, though currently we are measured in that way,” he said.
“We put the building blocks in place to allow athletes to fulfil their dreams. The medal table outcome is irrelevant to us.”
Olympic chiefs have still to decide whether to allow athletes to ‘take a knee’ in support of Black Lives Matter. But England says Team GB would “absolutely support athletes” in what they choose.