Stafford & Stone Canoe Club’s Adam Burgess has officially secured his spot on the GB Canoe Slalom team for the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics
Stone resident Burgess will compete in the C1 event, where he hopes to build on his team silver medal at the 2017 World Championships.
Due to Covid, friends and family won’t be able to cheer on the teams at the Olympics, but that suits the first time Olympian.
Adam said: “Not having the crowds is probably an advantage, there’s no pre-existing ideas of what this is like. In canoe slalom, we’re not used to racing in front of thousands of people, so it’ll feel more normal for us.
“It’s just business as usual. Down through the green gates, up through the red ones, and stay in the moment. Racing never gets easier. It’s uncomfortable. It’s nerve-racking. But those are the moments where you really feel alive. To do that on the Olympic stage will be so special.
“I’ve been dreaming about this moment since I was ten years old. I knew I was going at the end of 2019, so I’ve just had to be really patient. I’m gutted that my parents aren’t going to be able to come out because they’re a massive part of this journey. They deserve this adventure just as much as I do. But I’m not afraid of it.”
A former Junior, Under-23 and European champion, Adam won the World Cup silver in Lee Valley in 2019 as he embarked on his fifth season for the senior British team.
With the pandemic causing havoc with training schedules, preparation has been chaotic for the rising Slalom star, but he’s hopeful that reaching peak condition will help him bring home the spoils from Tokyo.
“I used the past year the best I could, I’m faster and I’m in the best shape of my life, but it was hard not racing. I’m fast enough to win a medal. I’ve proven it with my performances so far this season – I just need to prove it with the result.
“I was too focussed on going there to win, and now it feels like a controlled excitement. I know what I have to do and just stay in the moment.”
