GOLDEN GIRL Laura Kenny hopes the sight of Brits celebrating at the Tokyo Olympics will boost the mood of a nation hit hard by Covid-19 rules.
With the UK locked down once again and facing tough restrictions for months, it is a pretty miserable time for everyone in this global pandemic.
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Kenny, whose husband Jason has six Olympic golds, is hard at training in Manchester this winter for the rescheduled Tokyo Games, hoping to medal in an unprecedented three potential events in Japan.
And she believes visions of Team GB stars raising aloft the Union flag will lift the country’s spirits in these bleak shutdown times.
Four-time Olympic champion Kenny told SunSport: “I know not everybody is into sport.
“But if you’re stuck inside, and then see people from your nation competing abroad, it would bring a little bit of joy
“I’m not just talking about gold medals here. Even seeing people compete would bring something to the country.
“The Olympics always bring people together. Sport brings everybody together. Maybe it could be a little bit of happiness for those who are struggling.”
Kenny, who is working with sponsors Purplebricks on the Team GB journey to Tokyo, will next week receive British Cycling’s new Olympic equipment – bikes and suits.
In the early part of 2020, the British squad underperformed by their own lofty standards with just one gold medal at the UCI World Track Cycling Champs in Berlin.
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Kenny enters this Olympic year in a far better mental state and physical shape than 12 months ago when she broke her right shoulder in a horror crash in Canada.
Then at the worlds in February, she crashed again and broke her right arm, meaning she faced a race-against-time to be fit for the originally scheduled Olympics.
The 28-year-old said: “Two broken bones in four weeks was less than ideal. It would have taken me out of so many races.
“I’d have been just ‘okay’ for the Olympics. Having that extra year off means I could recover and be better.
“I had the time in lockdown to let my body heal. I’d say in terms of fitness I’m in better shape – it’s just the lack of racing this year that’s a concern.”
Laura Kenny is working with Purplebricks to encourage the nation to get behind Team GB on their journey to Tokyo. Visit @PurplebricksUK on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & YouTube
