Brad Forbes-Cryans insists advice from past masters has set him up for a pre-Tokyo booster by striking gold at the European Canoeing Championships in Turin today.
The 26-year-old from Midlothian will get his last major tune-up for the Olympics in the men’s K1 kayak event on a course where he captured world under-23 silver five years ago.
After being selected for the Games over 18 months ago, he has had to paddle through a pandemic and then gear up again for the biggest few months of his life.
But he has lent on his coach Richard Hounslow and fellow Scot David Florence, who’s passed on the tips picked up while acquiring Olympic silvers at the past three Games.
Forbes-Cryans said: “I'm very lucky to have David as a training partner, but also Richard, who's also been there. He's got two Olympic silver medals of his own. He's been feeding me bits of information that he thinks is relevant and sharing some of his past experiences.
“I feel very fortunate to have the team around me that I do, with two extremely experienced guys. Olympic Games is probably the highest level that you can perform internationally so I’m just trying to use all of that to add to my ability.”
The fallout from his selection for a single UK spot in Tokyo ahead of reigning Olympic champion Joe Clarke has died down during over the past year with the pair back as team-mates this week.
“He's not going to get chance to retain that title,” the Scot declared. “So I can understand that he's upset. But we just have had to push past this and get on with our job.”
Results this weekend will be keenly watched with the forthcoming Games in mind. For others, like Clarke, Florence and Fiona Pennie – racing in the women’s K1 today – who went to Rio but will miss out on Tokyo, entire seasons hang on earning a Euro slalom crown.
For Forbes-Cryans, a first senior individual medal on the international stage would add legitimacy to his planned assault on the podium in July.
“It definitely has not been a smooth journey in my career,” he said. “I've worked incredibly hard over the last 15 years at my sport and it’s due to the work that I've put in that I have managed to be at the top of every level that I've gone through.
“I've kind of always been in the top 10 for junior internationals, then Under-20 and 23 and then seniors. It is easy to look on the outside that there's been a pretty steady progression. But I do always look for more and more from myself.”
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