Daniel Bethell looks to family support to upgrade silver to gold in Paris

Tokyo silver medallist Dan Bethell will look to go that one better at Paris 2024 as he looks to reach the Paralympic pinnacle, this time with his loved ones in the crowd.

As para-badminton made its Games debut in the Far East, Bethell produced ParalympicsGB’s first medal-winning performance in the sport, securing a memorable silver in the men’s SL3 singles.

After cruising through the semi-final against India’s Manoj Sarkar in straight sets, the Bath star came so close to topping the podium, only losing out to world number one Pramod Bhagat in a hard-fought final.

And while winning a Paralympic medal was nevertheless the stuff of dreams for Bethell, his experience was slightly hampered by the eerie feel inside the arena, with COVID-19 barring fans or family from the stands.

Now raring to go again in what will almost feel like a home Games across the Channel, Bethell is hellbent on avenging final heartache in front of an audience of thousands.

“Tokyo was amazing,” he said. “It was the first Games for para-badminton, but then to be in Paris, I think it’ll be just so much better.

“Obviously, COVID massively impacted Tokyo. We didn’t have crowds and it was all very restricted, so to have more of an open Games and have 7,000 people in the crowds, it’s going to just be a surreal experience with friends and family coming out.

“It was one of the best moments of my career, winning that silver medal, definitely the fulfilment of a childhood dream.

“But I definitely want to go one better than last year and get the gold and to have friends and family there this time would be amazing.

“It was a bit surreal in Tokyo celebrating that medal over Zoom before I got back to the UK, so to have them there and then is going to be amazing.

“It’s the first Games in Europe since 2012. It’s going to feel like a home Games, so it’ll be really special.”

Making his second Paralympic appearance, Bethell still gets excited about the little things when it comes to the Games, with simply taking part acting as the realisation of a lifelong fantasy.

And while some athletes may see the compulsory Kitting Out day as a chore, Bethell could not stop pinching himself when receiving his stash.

Speaking on how he was first inspired to take up para-sport, he added: “The Beijing Paralympics was the big first inspiration I got.

“It was the first time I’d really watched para-sport, particularly at that level, and just seeing these amazing athletes with my disability or other disabilities doing these incredible sporting feats, I just really wanted to be a part of it.

“To be honest, I think the biggest thing I wanted was a GB tracksuit. I just loved the idea of going around the stadium in the opening ceremony and in all the GB clothes. I thought that would be so cool to be a part of.

“I first got on the England squad back in 2012 and when I got my first England tracksuit, I could have retired then and I would have been actually quite happy, because all I really wanted when I first started was the kit.

“And now to go to the Kitting Out, it’s a really special day. We didn’t have it in Tokyo because obviously the COVID restrictions, so to go and experience that and to see the kit for the first time was amazing.”