We may have had to wait a year longer than usual, but the SMS team are all the more excited for the Olympics to get underway.
We asked some of the team to explore some of their first and favourite Olympic memories and what they are looking forward to at Tokyo 2020.
JOHN BUSHELL – MANAGING DIRECTOR
First Olympic memory: Mark Spitz winning 7 Olympic Golds in swimming in the 1972 Munich games
New sport you’re most looking excited to watch in 2021: Skateboarding – we all had skateboards as a kid, but what they do is unreal.
Competitor you’re most excited to watch in 2021: KJT in the Heptathlon – endurance and skill over 5 events
What you’re most looking forward to at the 2021 games: Watching sports that are never shown on terrestrial television get their time in the spotlight
What you’re least looking forward to at the 2021 games: The Covid issue and whether to allow fans and whether the games should be staged at all. .
Favourite national anthem (that isn’t your own): Probably New Zealand.
All time Olympic host city you’d most like to visit: There are so many great cities – I have been to Tokyo, and Seoul, so it would have to be Sydney for the Bay and the waterfront
All-time Favourite Olympic moment: It is the human stories – Jessica Ennis-Hill, Steve Redgrave, GB Female hockey – getting to see and know the personalities…..all emotional and special.
RICHARD PAYNE – DIRECTOR
First Olympic memory: The excitement and hype around Chris Boardman in 1992 when he won the individual pursuit gold on a bike he designed!
New sport you’re most looking excited to watch in 2021: Sport Climbing
Competitor you’re most excited to watch in 2021: Tommy Fleetwood – can he take up Mr Rose’s mantle and bring home the golf gold for Team GB
What you’re most looking forward to at the 2021 games: The sheer variety of sports that you can watch pretty much 24/7
What you’re least looking forward to at the 2021 games: The lack of a crowd for the 100m final
Favourite national anthem (that isn’t your own): No idea!
All time Olympic host city you’d most like to visit: Tokyo. For the culture, history and sushi.
All-time Favourite Olympic moment: I have 2 – Redgrave winning his 4th gold in the pairs (1996) with Pinsent and then saying that if anyone ever saw him near a boat they should shoot him only for him to then go on to win in the coxless 4 in 2000. And also Murray winning at Wimbledon in 2012 having lost in the Wimbledon final a few weeks earlier – ultimate redemption!
MARC ANDERMAN- BUSINESS DELVEOPMENT MANAGER
First Olympic memory: Alan Wells winning 100m in Moscow…
New sport you’re most looking excited to watch in 2021: Skateboarding!
Competitor you’re most excited to watch in 2021: Sky Brown or Dina Asher-Smith
What you’re most looking forward to at the 2021 games: hopefully some new world record that are smashed……
What you’re least looking forward to at the 2021 games: Empty seats….
Favourite national anthem (that isn’t your own): Italian
All time Olympic host city you’d most like to visit: Montreal
All-time Favourite Olympic moment: Daley Thompson winning gold in ‘84 LA Games and doing back flip after clearing the pole vault
Hannah Sprake – Senior Sports Development Insights Manager
First Olympic memory: I used to love doing the relay in my school sports days, and I can remember watching with my family the team GB men win silver in the 4x400m at the ‘96 Atlanta Olympics (my auntie loved Roger Black).
New sport you’re most looking excited to watch in 2021: Speed Climbing – it’s like the wall from Gladiators has become an Olympic sport. I wonder if they will have John Anderson there to start the climbers!
What you’re most looking forward to at the 2021 games: All the hockey games!
What you’re least looking forward to at the 2021 games: Working out the time difference to plan what I can watch live.
Favourite Olympic story: Martine Wright. From sitting on that tube on July 7th 2005 with her newspaper thinking, “I must get tickets to watch London 2012”, to then being a GB Paralympic sitting volleyball athlete competing at the home games – what an AMAZING lady.
Derek Redmond 1992 Barcelona 400m semi-finals – So inspirational it get me every time I watch the video
All time Olympic host city you’d most like to visit: I’ve already ticked Tokyo off the list, but I’d love to visit Sydney one day
Erica Healy – Head of Research
First Olympic memory: Definitely Torvill and Dean winning their gold medals in 1984, and everyone going wild for the Bolero for weeks afterwards.
New sport you’re most looking excited to watch in 2021: Sport Climbing. Skateboarding – those folks have no fear.
Competitor you’re most excited to watch in 2021: I am keen to see what Simone Biles will do this year, and also Jade Jones.
What you’re most looking forward to at the 2021 games: Becoming slightly addicted to gymnastics.
What you’re least looking forward to at the 2021 games: The time zone difference, meaning live viewing will be tricky.
All time Olympic host city you’d most like to visit: Tokyo – I have been once but would love to go back again.
All-time Favourite Olympic moment: ‘The Queen’ and James Bond doing their helicopter jump in 2012. I also really liked Vancouver’s dancing trees!
Edward Willis – Sports Business and Marketing Manager
First Olympic memory: I have a very vague memory of Jonathan Edwards winning silver in the triple jump in Atlanta, and a stronger one of Redgrave, Pinsent and co claiming gold in Sydney.
New sport you’re most looking excited to watch in 2021: Sport climbing. Don’t look down. Don’t look away.
Competitor you’re most excited to watch in 2021: Eliud Kipchoge. I’ve run three marathons and what that man can do is outrageous.
What you’re most looking forward to at the 2021 games: In-depth discussions about sports whose rules and tactics I’d forgotten for the last 5 years.
What you’re least looking forward to at the 2021 games: Too much talk about who isn’t there.
Favourite national anthem (that isn’t your own): The Marseillaise because it’s the only other one I know the lyrics to.
All time Olympic host city you’d most like to visit: Tokyo. To eat sushi while enjoying the history, culture and sheer sense of difference.
All-time Favourite Olympic moment: The London opening ceremony. The worries about how it could compete with Beijing’s spectacle were blown away by a quirky, hopeful and welcoming national vision.
Keith Storey – President, SMS USA
First Olympic memory: Mary Peters winning the 1972 Gold Medal in the Pentathlon. Yes, I’m that old!
New sport you’re most looking excited to watch in 2021: Surfing – hoping for some good competition and for the post-Covid jump in surfing participation to continue
Competitor you’re most excited to watch in 2021: Katie Ledecky
What you’re most looking forward to at the 2021 games: Swimming and all the Track & Field
What you’re least looking forward to at the 2021 games: No fans – but let’s not go on about that – just get on with it.
All time Olympic host city you’d most like to visit: Sydney – I’ve never been but would like to go for an Ashes Tour (not part of the Barmy Army)
All-time Favourite Olympic moment: The Opening Ceremony of the Salt Lake Olympics – the coldest I’ve ever been at a sports venue but it was a great event.
Di Gilder – Sports Account Assistant
First Olympic memory: Watching Roger Bannister in Helsinki
New sport you’re most looking excited to watch in 2021: Skateboarding and surfing both look very interesting
Competitor you’re most excited to watch in 2021:
Ben Maher has a great chance of winning showjumping gold on a horse he’s likened to driving a ferrari (he imagines!)
What you’re most looking forward to at the 2021 games: Like every Olympics, the dressage.
All time Olympic host city you’d most like to visit: Tokyo. I’ve been booked to go for the last two years, but had to pospone because of the pandemic.
All-time Favourite Olympic moment: Nick Skelton winning show jumping gold in his 7th Olympic games aged 58
