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Tokyo 2020: Joe Fraser relishing prospect of Oympics Games debut and scaling dizzy heights

BySportsbeat

Updated 06/05/2021 at 10:26 GMT

The 22-year-old won Great Britain's first gold medal on the parallel bars at the World Championships in Germany in 2019 and warmed up for a tilt at glory in Tokyo with European pommel horse bronze in April. He is now putting the finishing touches to his preparations for a shot at Olympic glory this summer

Joe Fraser competes in the parallel bars during the British Gymnastics Championships at the Echo Arena on March 26, 2017 in Liverpool, England.

Image credit: Getty Images

Joe Fraser can already count a world title and two European medals among his list of career achievements, yet the gymnastics star says simply featuring at this summer's Olympics would almost top the lot.
The 22-year-old won Great Britain's first gold medal on the parallel bars at the World Championships in Germany in 2019 and warmed up for a tilt at glory in Tokyo with European pommel horse bronze in April.
An ankle ligament injury dashed Fraser's hopes of competing at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, meaning Tokyo 2020 will mark his first appearance at a senior multi-sport event.
And though he has eyes on podium finishes in more than one discipline, merely securing a seat on the plane ticks a big box on Fraser's bucket list.
"It'll definitely go straight into my top three moments!" said Fraser.
"The Games is the pinnacle for a lot of sports, and gymnastics is certainly one of them - it's where every gymnast in the world wants to be. I was very young during Beijing 2008 but the memory of Louis Smith getting a pommel horse bronze stills sticks out in my head.
"I've never been this close to a Games before so it is exciting, and nerve-wracking. I perform better when I am having fun and enjoying myself and I have always told myself that when you have worked so hard you need to try and enjoy those moments, because they do not come around often.
"If I deliver the routines, I've been producing in training I'd definitely like to try and medal, in both the team and individual events."
Despite being eager to make his Olympics debut, Fraser believes the enforced postponement due to Covid-19 acted as a boost to his podium prospects, with his recent European gong also representing a key step in his preparation.
He said: "I was devastated when it was pushed back, but on reflection I've had extra time to work on the finer details and upgrade on certain apparatus, so I'd argue it's improved my chances of success.
"The Euros was our first competition since the first lockdown, so it was really good practice. I made mistakes and I know there's a lot of work still to be done, but I've taken a lot of positives from the competition."
While Covid-19 restrictions mean Fraser's nearest and dearest will not be there to cheer him on in Tokyo, the Birmingham native is hopeful the home will help drive him over the line.
He added: "It's a shame my family won't be there this summer, but I know they'll be watching at home and I'll be on FaceTime when I can!
"Having that network always pushing you to be better and wanting you to achieve is crucial from an athlete's perspective, and knowing the British public are fully behind us will serve as a big boost to us all when it really matters."
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