Alcott approaching potential Paralympic swansong with best intentions
Reigning quad singles and doubles Paralympic champion Dylan Alcott is ready to put on a show at Tokyo 2020, which he admits may be his final Paralympic Games.
“I love the Paralympics – I call the Olympics the warm-up event for the big show – for two weeks of the year, people with disabilities around the world, it’s the main show,” said the 30-year-old. “It means everything to me.
“I’ve been lucky enough to win three gold medals and a silver across two sports – wheelchair basketball and wheelchair tennis – so one last hurrah at the Paralympics I reckon. I’m very excited for it.”
The world No. 1 and winner of all three Grand Slam singles titles played so far in 2021 claimed both gold medals five years ago at Rio 2016, emulating compatriot David Hall’s 2000 triumph with victory in the singles before partnering Heath Davidson to doubles glory.
But any talk of targeting a fifth medal in Tokyo – let alone his chances of completing a golden slam in 2021 – is strictly off-limits as he focuses on simply giving his best at the Ariake Tennis Centre.
“I don’t think about getting on the podium, I don’t think about winning medals,” he said. “All I think about is being the best that I can be and enjoying the moment. You know what? If I win a gold medal – unbelievable. If I don’t – I’ve still got a beautiful partner, a great family, a great life. I love tennis, so why go out there and not love it when you’re under pressure.”
In much the same manner, the Paralympics are about so much more than sport to Alcott. Glory on the podium plays second fiddle to two weeks spent in the company of some of the world’s most talented persons with disabilities, as evidenced by his favourite Paralympic memory.
“There are so many disabilities you’ve never seen before,” he explained. “I was in the food hall, and I saw a guy, he was carrying his buffet food tray with his mouth. He had no arms from the shoulders down, nothing. He then ate his rice using chopsticks with his feet. He also swims the 100m backstroke in one minute, 15 seconds.
“Being a Paralympian didn’t change the way I thought about myself. I’m always just Dylan – the accolades don’t do anything to me, to be honest. But you get goosebumps going into that village – there’s the adrenaline of wanting to compete, but also seeing so many people with disabilities in a place where they feel comfortable with their disability. They are normal in there.
“We’re all just smiling and competing, and it’s amazing. I want that village to be a snapshot of what it should be like in our communities.”