By Graham Thomas
The Olympic Faster. Higher. Stronger.
The Olympic motto used to be unchanging and did its job well enough from its introduction back in 1894.
That was until 2021 when the organisers/modernisers/do-gooders/diversity officers/woke police (insert depending on political outlook) decided on an upgrade.
It’s now, “Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together” to emphasise the Olympic ambition of solidarity.
That’s not all that’s new, either. There are entirely new sports such as breaking – that’s breakdancing to anyone not down with the kidz – as well as kayak cross and men’s artistic swimming (why should the ladies get all the fun?)
If you enjoyed the surfing that arrived four years ago in Tokyo, you’ll be pleased to hear it’s back, although you’ll need to get a flight to Tahiti if you want to watch it live.
Skateboarding – that’s stayed, too. So has sports climbing and 3×3 basketball.
Those who don’t like change – who reckon it went downhill after David Coleman, Harry Carpenter and Alan Weeks left the BBC’s coverage – will be reassured by some constants when the Games begin in Paris on Friday, though.
Or, if you think home advantage will make the French “formidable” then you can get on them at 100/1.
If your patriotism is a little closer to home, then it’s worth noting there are 31 Welsh athletes in Paris. They won’t be wearing red vests, but 31 claim to have Welsh blood coursing through their veins, or at least the veins of parents or grandparents.
The youngest is 17-year-old Ruby Evans, who will become the first Welsh gymnast to compete at an Olympics since 1996.
The oldest is sailor Chris Grube, who is at his third Games. In between those two, there are some genuine hopes of gold medals.
Swimmer Matt Richards won a gold four years ago in Tokyo in the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay and since then has become world champion in the individual event at the same distance.
If you’re digging for Welsh gold in France, then Richards is probably the best place to start.
Not far behind, though, is another young Welsh world champion – track cyclist Emma Finucane. Like Richards, she’s just 21 and also currently ranked the best in the world in the women’s individual sprint.
There are plenty of other notable Welsh faces to keep an eye on. Jade Jones is 10 years older than Finucane and Richards and at 31 is no longer the shoo-in favourite in the women’s -57kg taekwondo.
But Jones is already a double Olympic champion after winning in London in 2012 and again in Rio in 2016. She was a shock first round loser defending her title in Tokyo, however, and her preparations for these Games were rocked by a provisional suspension over a missed drugs test.
Jones was eventually cleared of any fault over the test, but it remains to be seen what effect the episode has had on her chances of success.
Anna Hursey is an unlikely medalist, but she will definitely make history when the 18-year-old becomes the first Welsh athlete to compete at an Olympics in table tennis.
Meanwhile, Wales also has a runner capable of making the final in the event often seen as the biggest draw card of the Games – the men’s 100m.
Jeremiah Azu – a 22-year-old from Cardiff – is very much the modern day athlete with global influences. Born in the Netherlands to parents from Ghana, he moved to Cardiff when he was three years old, but currently lives in Italy as part of a four-strong British sprint training group.
He became the fastest man in Britain over 60m this year and was the British 100m champion in 2022.
Azu admits: “When I was younger, I didn’t really know anything about the Olympics, certainly I didn’t know what it might take to actually get there.
“I didn’t even know that a career might exist when you prepared properly and trained every day to try and become an Olympic athlete.
“In the last few years, I have met people like Colin Jackson and been able to learn so much from him. He was raised in quite a rough area of Cardiff, but he was able to live the life he did and work hard every single day to become an amazing athlete.
“That is something I have learned – to get to events like the Olympics takes absolute dedication, every single day.”
