25 August 2020

Sarah Storey insists Tokyo Olympic Games ‘not necessarily’ the end of her career

Dame Sarah Storey has revealed she is still considering carrying on beyond the Tokyo Olympic Games.

The 42 year-old, who has won 14 Paralympic gold medals, nine in cycling and five in swimming, is Britain’s most decorated Paralympian of all-time.

Storey has been winning Paralympic golds since 2008 (PA)

And while the Tokyo Games has been postponed for a year due to the coronavirus pandemic, Storey refuses to commit to any sort of retirement plan.

Speaking to BBC Sport, she said: "Tokyo will be my eighth Games and I think having to wait another year is just one of those things, it hasn't changed my motivation.

"I don't think Tokyo was necessarily going to be the end, I think in some way I'll always race, but whether I race internationally, who knows.

"I've never been one to make a decision until after the Games anyway, whether that was a decision to have a baby, a decision to carry on, a decision to switch sports, or move from track more onto the road.

"I'll just wait another year, my body is still well and my mind is definitely still there, and I still feel like I was improving [before lockdown]."

At the last Olympics in Rio, Storey won gold in the individual pursuit, time trial and road race.

And despite fears the Games may be suspended, the British sporting legend remains optimistic about it happening next year.

"There are so many different considerations but I think it's certainly possible for the Games to go ahead with a bubble around it in some way, shape or form, and it's just about each of those nations getting a handle on what they are doing with their competitors ahead of travel or whatever," she added.

"It's been heartening to see how things have worked out for the cricket and the football, and how that's been really positively worked on and the different strategies they have got there.

"In terms of the way it's been approached, I don't think it could have been done in any other way."

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