Exclusive: Bryony Page Aims for Record Third Olympic Medal at Paris 2024
British trampoline star Bryony Page aims for a record third Olympic medal at Paris 2024. Reflecting on her journey, mentorship, and challenges, Page is excited to compete, driven by her past successes and continuous improvement in the sport.
Image Credit: University of Sheffiled
Trampoline star Bryony Page hopes savouring Paris 2024 includes winning a record third Olympic medal.
A Historic Journey and Building on Success
Page captured the imagination of a nation when she became the first British trampolinist to win an Olympic medal when she won silver for Team GB on her Olympic debut in the individual competition in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
The Cheshire-born athlete followed up her memorable success in Brazil by winning an individual bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics after another starring display for her country.
Four years later and the ambitious 33-year-old is hungry to secure a place on the podium again.
The final Team GB squad will be announced this week with Page all but guaranteed her place on the plane as the reigning world and European champion, and winning gold in Paris, at her third Olympics in a row, would really be a fairytale finish to a magic season.
Image Credits: Team GB
Ambitions for Paris 2024
“I think every athlete goes into an Olympics dreaming of a gold medal, that is the ultimate goal,” Page told SportsBoom.com.
“It would be amazing to win one, but the competition is really strong.
“But it’s going to be realty exciting competition and its exciting times because I still feel like I’m improving. This Olympic cycle has been the best cycle for me.
“I’ve had injuries and had to deal with grief after Rio, which was really tough, and then I had almost two years out with ankle issues after that Olympics.
But this cycle has been really successful. I’m excited, nervous and I feel the pressure at the same time.
Bryony Page
The Drive to Perform
“I have to pinch myself almost that I’ve got to this point, it’s such a great opportunity for me.”
And Page has lost none of her desire to perform at the top level.
“The motivation never goes for me because I know I can be better,” she added.
“In some ways the pressure is off because I’ve had a success story with my other Olympics.
“I feel in a good place at the moment, I really want to stay in this moment and really relish it.
“I’ve got two months until Paris, I’d like to really savour the whole experience of being part of Team GB, I want to take it all in.
Physical and Mental Growth
“I’m still hitting PBs – and I’ve smashed them – so it’s exciting for me to still be improving as an older athlete in trampolining, but I still feel like a youngster in the fact my body feels better than when I was in my early 20s. I just feel stronger, generally.
“And I’ve got the experience under me, so now I think I’m more grateful for the opportunities I get.
“I just love trampolining, it’s such a fun sport, it’s nice and exciting.”
Perfect Timing
Page hopes she has hit form just at the right time. She dazzled at the World Championships in Birmingham in November, a perfect confidence boost ahead of her search for another medal.
“The World Championships was one the best competitions I’ve ever been too,” reflected Page.
Adjusting to Crowds Again
“It was a big competition for me to prep for Paris, to get used to performing again in front a of a big crowd was really helpful. That was something I was worried about.
“In Toyko there was no crowd whatsoever (because of Covid) and Rio was so far away that only my parents just about managed to make it there.
“Toyko just felt so bizarre to be honest, it felt like a glorified trial event because there were no crowds.
“It was really strange because I like performing in front a of a crowd, that brings me energy and brings the best out of me, and we didn’t have that.
It felt really intense and unfortunately didn’t have the excitement you expect from an Olympic games – and what I’d experienced previously in Rio. It was two very different Olympic experiences.
Bryony Page
Learning from Tokyo: The COVID Challenges
Despite no crowd in Japan, Page still impressed to pocket her bronze Olympic medal and, if she can produce her best form in Paris, then another podium place could beckon.
“I was going into Toyko as an Olympic medallist and I was aiming for a gold medal, I put internal pressure on myself to perform,” revealed Page, who believes the Chinese will be her closest medal rivals, with Brazil and the United States also in the running for medals.
“Can you imagine not competing for a whole year because of Covid – and your first competition is an Olympic Games? It was so bizarre and so unique.
“This season, though, I’ve already competed in five or six competitions, the competition exposure has been so much more.
“I do feel pressure because I’m going into Paris as the world champion, and I know what I’m capable of.
Pride and Potential: Looking Ahead
“It’s my third Olympics, which is a huge achievement in itself, but I know what I’m capable.
“I just want to be able to perform to my best, but whether I win a medal or not, I’m going to be proud of what I’ve achieved.”
A medal in Paris could see Page stay on and compete in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, but she would also love to experience a new career one day with Cirque du Soleil, the famous travelling circus.
“LA is definitely not off the table and one day I’d love to perform in Cirque du Soleil, but the Olympics is such a special competition, I can’t wait to compete again.”
Neil has been a journalist for longer than he'd care to remember, having written for national newspapers and respected publications for over 25 years. For the last three years he has worked freelance for BBC Sport, working on the production desk as a sub-editor and also as a writer, covering a whole range of sports.