'Proud' Potter goes in Supertri League event - watch on BBC

1 month ago 14
ARTICLE AD BOX

Scottish triathlete Beth Potter admits it has been "really difficult adjusting back to normal life" after the high of competing - and winning two bronze medals - at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

The 32-year-old made the podium in the individual women's and mixed relay events.

Potter and fellow Team GB medallists Alex Yee and Georgia Taylor-Brown will receive a hero's welcome when they compete in Sunday's Supertri League event in London.

"That is one part of it that I have found really difficult, just adjusting back to normal life and just being really proud of what I have achieved as well," she told BBC Scotland.

"People know the Olympics is such a big event, it has been quite difficult to get yourself back into it and almost be motivated for something because that was such a big goal and I think that is hard for other people to understand."

Potter - who only switched to triathlon after competing in the 10,000m at the 2016 Rio Games - added: "I have found some of the questions people ask around it quite difficult to answer because I don't want to come across as being rude or anything but when people ask 'what is next?' you have not even given us a chance to absorb what we have just done and how much it has taken to get there.

"Or, if they ask, 'how do you really feel about your medal?' - it is very difficult to come home with a medal from the Olympics and I think that is something that is not talked about.

"Most people leave the Games with nothing so I think being able to turn it on on that one day in every four years is not an easy thing to do and I think almost any medal should be celebrated and not like, 'oh you didn't get the gold, though'. That shouldn't be seen as a failure, that should be seen as, 'wow you got a medal, you got two medals'."

The Glaswegian has also had to get used to the higher profile that has come off the back of her impressive Paris exploits.

"There is definitely more hype around it, I have been recognised quite a lot on the street and stuff so I think that is definitely different to before," she explained.

"Everyone knows about the Olympics, everyone is super excited to see the medals and I think from day to day I am still the same person and I do the same things but it definitely has more status."

Potter's double bronze Olympic success swells a medal collection that also includes world and European golds.

Despite scaling the heights of the sport, the Scot is as motivated as ever to keep chasing more glory.

"I got the [world] gold medal last year and it still wasn't enough, so I think there is always that part of you that just always wants more. Really we should just stop and look back on the journey and be really happy with where we have come from and what we have achieved in the sport, because it is remarkable.

"But then on the other side, you have hit your goals for the season and you have almost achieved most of the things you wanted to achieve.

"I still want to compete and I still want to go back and do it again. I will assess how I feel after a proper break this season and plan out the next four years."

The London Supertri will be live on the BBC Sport website and app, as well as BBC iPlayer on Sunday between 12:00 and 14:30 BST.

Read Entire Article