THE SHOW MUST GO ON
OLYMPICS HAVE TO BE STAGED TO INSPIRE NEXT GENERATION OF HEROES, INSISTS GOODHEW
TIME spent out of the water feels entirely unnatural for Duncan Goodhew. And, if the brilliant Brits who followed in his wake have at least been able to train during lockdown, he cannot contemplate the prospect of Duncan Scott, Adam Peaty et al being denied a place in the Olympic spotlight later this year.
‘The Olympics must go ahead,’ Goodhew told Sportsmail. ‘The ancient Greeks used to suspend wars to hold the Olympic Games.
‘We should try our absolute best to make sure they go ahead. For no other reason than it making such a great distraction from the alarm bells going off.
‘We need good news. For 18 days, we’ll be in awe of young people excelling and showing that the human race can run faster, jump higher and lift more than we ever thought possible.
‘That’s such an optimistic measure about what the future holds — and what we can do, rather than what we can’t do.
‘It will be such a welcome relief from what we have at the moment.’
Goodhew (right), gold medallist in the 100-metres breaststroke at the Moscow games back in 1980, can empathise with the plight of elite swimmers wondering if Tokyo will be ready.
He said: ‘My event was just over a minute. Adam Peaty is well under a minute now!
‘It’s less than a minute every four years. And somebody else picks the minute.
‘There lies the whole dilemma of the Olympic Games — and it’s called accuracy.
‘How can you prepare perfectly for a minute or less, every four years, when someone else decides on when that minute should be?
‘Now it’s going to be once every five years — and there has still been uncertainty.
‘I suspect guys like Adam and Duncan Scott, they’ll turn it into an advantage.
‘But, if you’re swimming against people who have been in the water while you’ve been locked out, it’s a pretty hard current to swim against.’
Goodhew, whose involvement with the Swimathon Foundation keeps him engaged with the grassroots of the sport, really feels for the four million-plus who described themselves as regular swimmers — going to their local pool at least twice a week — currently still locked out.
‘Swimming has such a deep affinity to being human,’ he said. ‘When people dive in the water, it’s an escape from the hard reality of their world.
‘It’s an escape from the gravity of the world, metaphorically. The escape, when you dive into the water, is all-encompassing. There are no electronics. You are just in your swimsuit. Astronauts train in it because it neutralises gravity and is the closest to an off-world environment you can get.
‘It’s so therapeutic in terms of well-being. And you talk to any physician, they’ll tell you it’s the best exercise all round for the body, as well.
‘Swimming is Britain’s No 1 mass participation sport. We are an island of swimmers. So swimming’s closure is almost a closure of activity for a vast swathe of people.
‘If you went down to a swimming pool at midday, back in the day, you would have had aqua aerobic classes full of people with movement problems on land.
‘You would also have wall-to-wall swimming lessons — and some pools have a three-year waiting list. For many in Britain, it’s been absolutely terrible. A terrible loss. One that is impeding on their physical and mental health. ‘I did a couple of things for Swimathon in the autumn so that was the last time I was in a pool — and it was outdoor. My wife is shielding so I’m incredibly careful. ‘I also swam or a while in the Serpentine until this lockdown came. The lockdown has probably saved me from some very chilly mornings! ‘It’s the first time in a very long time that I’ve not had a regular swim.’ Clubs everywhere are struggling to stay afloat, if you’ll pardon the pun, without membership fees. Which is where Swimathon has been able to help. Goodhew said: ‘It’s been going for many years and our swimmers have become such a force for good, raising over £54million for charity.
‘In the first lockdown, they wanted to do something to help swimming, so started a Covid relief fund for clubs and activities.
‘If you think about things, the fundamentals are learn-to-swim schools. Every pool is full of them.
‘How are they surviving through the pandemic? How are the clubs surviving?
‘A lot of these organisations revolve around volunteers. But funds are needed — and someone has to keep the organisation alive, filing accounts, etc, in order to be there when we open up again.
‘So we’re really happy to help over 100 of them around the country.
‘This Covid fund has been announced and applications can be made at the website. It’s really important for young athletes to make sure there’s a club to go back to.’ l For more information about The Swimathon Foundation and to apply for the Covid-19 Relief Fund grant, visit www.swimathonfoundation.org