Golden girl Breen targets Tokyo 2020 success

Buoyed by adding another major title to her collection Down Under, Olivia Breen is determined to complete the full set come Tokyo 2020.

The 21-year-old was at her sparkling best at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, setting a new personal best 4.86m to win the women’s T38 long jump final by half a metre.

That meant getting to enjoy the honour of hearing the Welsh anthem blared out while she stood atop the medal rostrum – and there was another podium visit shortly afterwards when she picked up bronze in the T38 100m.

The smile has hardly left her face since, with Breen making sure to enjoy some well-earned downtime after her exertions, including meeting some of the Australian wildlife.

But beneath the excitement, the steely determination that has helped deliver relay and long jump world titles in 2015 and 2017 and European T35-38 100m gold in 2016 still burns brightly, with a tilt at success come Tokyo 2020 high on the agenda.

Breen finished 12th in the T38 long jump at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, as well as seventh in the T38 100m – results she is determined to improve upon in Japan.

“I was so happy to come away with two medals from the Commonwealth Games, especially after I had a tricky time in Rio,” said Breen, part of the women’s 4x100m relay T35-T38 team who won bronze at London 2012.

“It’s definitely given me the motivation now to push on for Tokyo and hopefully win more medals.

“The Gold Coast was a phenomenal experience, I was so pleased that all the hard work paid off, and after all the ups and downs I could come away with two medals. I felt really emotional on the podium.

“Just being a part of Team Wales, getting to go to the holding camp and being a part of the team, everyone was so supportive.

“I’d never been to Australia before but I had my family out there and it was great fun, I love the country. We went to Australia Zoo and I got to meet a kangaroo which was pretty cool.”

Breen started life as a sprinter, making her Paralympic debut at London 2012 where she was the youngest member of the athletics team.

She switched to long jump in 2014, winning her first major title at last year’s IPC World Championships in London before adding to her collection in Australia.

And while she continues to combine both events, Breen admits she has a particular fondness for the field discipline.

“I’m really glad I got into long jump, it’s definitely my favourite and it’s given me a lot of drive as I really enjoy it,” she added.

“I’ve going to have a few weeks off now to relax for a bit and then I’ll be back into training.

“We’ve got the European Championships this summer and I would love to get another gold.”