The taekwondo champion on an Olympic mission

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

From the moment Bianca Walkden returned from Rio with a bronze medal in 2016, she has been on a mission to prove she is the world’s leading female taekwondo heavyweight.

And for all her achievements since – two World Championship golds, a historic Grand Prix clean sweep in 2017, world No.1 – the 29-year-old’s quest is far from complete.

The postponement of the Games pushed back Walkden’s opportunity to scratch the golden itch but she has stopped at nothing to ensure she is ready when the time comes.

Living with double Olympic champion Jade Jones helps - proving a more than useful flatmate when the garage replaced the gym – and preparations are now in full swing, with April’s European Championships in Sofia set to act as a precursor to the main event.

Tokyo represents Walkden’s chance to become Great Britain’s first Olympic heavyweight taekwondo champion, male or female, and she is likely to enter the competition as favourite – but she insists the only expectation comes from within.

“No matter what, I always put pressure on myself,” she said. “Whether it’s the Olympics or any competition, if it’s not gold I’m never happy.

“In Rio, I remember not wanting to do the bronze medal fight as I felt like it was finished. If it wasn’t gold, I didn’t want anything.

“The achievement was unbelievable and I’d have been devastated if I’d not fought for it and come back with nothing. But I want to remember those feelings and use them to turn bronze into gold.

“The first thing I said when I came off was ‘I’ll get gold in Tokyo’. There was no congratulations, just focusing on next time.

“I want to become the best female heavyweight in taekwondo and leave that legacy there. I have that determination from everything I’ve been through – injuries, not getting selected, the bronze – and hopefully this Olympics is my time.”

Walkden’s allusion to injuries is a reminder of the cruel fate which puts a postponement into perspective.

A ruptured anterior cruciate ligament denied her the chance to compete at London 2012, the Games which catapulted her best friend Jones to stardom while Walkden was learning to walk again.

Suffering the same injury two years later would have floored some for good but the Liverpudlian was not ready to throw in the towel.

“I try not to think about it but looking back, the injuries I’ve got over to do the sport I do is ridiculous,” said Walkden, who is working with Purplebricks to encourage the nation to get behind Team GB on their journey to Tokyo.

“Deep down, that’s always been in me – that determination to prove to myself and others that I can do it. You can throw anything at me and I’ll overcome it.

“When these Games were postponed, I was devastated. I wanted to get it done and I was ready to go. But we had no control over it so we just had to get on with it and be as optimistic as possible.

“I still have the opportunity to go out there and reach a dream. I’m going to keep pushing to make sure I’m in the best place possible for July, when it really matters.”

With Jones going for a landmark third consecutive gold this summer, there is the very real prospect of the pair adding a couple of valuable decorations to the house upon their return – the significance of which would not be lost on Walkden.

“We’re like family and we’ve been through absolutely everything over the years,” she said. “To go through a world pandemic together on a journey to Olympic gold – you can’t really beat that.”

Bianca Walkden is working with Purplebricks to encourage the nation to get behind Team GB on their journey to Tokyo, with the same amazing home support as London 2012. Visit @PurplebricksUK. To enter the draw to receive one of 2,020 limited edition prints, visit https://page.purplebricks.co.uk/teamgb_homesupport/