Laura and Jason Kenny discuss 2020 Tokyo Olympics, David Beckham and ducks
LAURA and Jason Kenny are British cycling’s Golden Couple.
The pair, who wed in September 2016, have an amazing collection of ten Olympic gold medals — six for Jason, four for Laura.
They are already targeting more glory at the 2020 Tokyo Games, which get underway exactly one year from today.
One more gold for Jason will put him ahead of Sir Chris Hoy as Britain’s most successful Olympian.
SunSport’s ROB MAUL quizzed the couple about their aims for the coming 12 months, why they don’t want to be the next Posh and Becks, how Jessica Ennis-Hill helped then become new parents . . . and the family ducks!
How are the plans going for Tokyo?
LAURA: There are three opportunities for me this time — the team pursuit, Madison and omnium.
It’ll be tough. It’s not just a physical thing, it’s more emotional. You have to commit to all three events for the next year. I’d like to say I’ll go and try and get selected in three events.
JASON: There’s a long way to go and a lot of hard work.
At this point out from Beijing in 2008, I wasn’t even in the team.
Hopefully when we get a bit closer, we’ll pop out in good condition, remain competitive and push for medals.
We’re doing it differently this time with our little boy. It’s my fourth Olympics but it’s a new experience.
Laura, you’ll arrive in Tokyo married and a mum. How will that affect your cycling?
LAURA: I feel more relaxed. When I had Albie in August 2017, I wanted to carry on afterwards. I didn’t want it to end my career.
Albie really brings me back down to earth. If I have a bad session, it’s not the end. I can go home and be Albie’s mum.
Who has helped you along the way?
LAURA: Jessica Ennis-Hill was key in me restarting again. She gave me loads of exercises and ideas and if I had any questions, she was always there on the phone.
Jess’ best advice was to make sure I had a timetable for me, his grandparents and my training.
The hardest part was trying to start feeling the Laura of Rio. That had been my last race and those were the feelings I was chasing. But it doesn’t happen overnight.
Jason, are you a better rider now you are a dad?
JASON: I don’t think I’m a better rider. Maybe I’m better person — I have more perspective. As an athlete you’re taught to live and breathe it. As a parent you can’t do that, you have to put your children first.
Maybe I enjoy it a bit more now and your motivation certainly changes when you have a little one. You want your little boy to see you as a good example.
Tokyo 2020 Olympics
Leaving Albie to go training or competing must be tough?
JASON: It’s really tough. You go away for a week and always worry he is going to have forgotten you when you get home.
He’s not a very good sleeper so we always go to bed early when we’re at home.
Laura looks after him during the night but he wakes up early so then I get up with him while Laura catches up with a lie-in.
It’s survival initially but then it becomes a routine.
How would it feel to win another gold and become our greatest Olympian?
JASON: Every gold medal is special, it means the world.
Regardless of what you have done before, everything is reset. Everyone is equal going into the race. The best team, the best man will win on the day.
LAURA: I’ll go out there and do my absolute best but I don’t like to talk about outcomes. I like to talk about the process instead.
Are you prepared for the super-stardom that could come your way?
JASON: Look, I’m still the same. I put the bins out, cut the grass.
We’ve a good balance between having a reasonable profile, a nice living, but then can go to Tesco and be perfectly normal.
We aren’t like David Beckham or footballers who can’t leave the house without being pestered.
We’re really lucky. We experience one side of it, and then go home and be normal again.
Jason, you will be 32 in March. Is Tokyo the end?
JASON: I don’t know. We live and breathe in Olympic cycles.
For now, we’re planned until the Olympics and we’ll decide what we will do after that. Let’s see how Tokyo goes, see how we feel after it. Take a break and then decide what we want to do for the next four years...or for the rest of my life!
Tell me about your ducks…
LAURA: We have a pond at home and it seemed a crime not to get some ducks.
So, when Jason was away one weekend, I thought I’d adopt some. They are called Cheese and Quakers. If Quakers goes, maybe we could adopt another one and call it Chutney!
We were told if you keep feeding them, they’ll stay and not fly away. So, we have an automatic feeder, which feeds them twice a day.
We just need someone to pop around when we are in Tokyo to top-up the feeder!
+ Laura Kenny was speaking on behalf of Toyota, presenting partner of ‘I Am Team GB’ — the Nation’s Biggest Sports Day on Saturday, August 24. Get the nation moving at #IAmTeamGB