Hahn backed for strong two years ahead of Paralympic Games

Crates won T46 800m gold at Athens 2004, adding to the 400m bronze he picked up four years earlier in Sydney, and became 800m World Championship at Assen in 2006.

So when the subject turns to the remarkable dominance that Sophie Hahn has enjoyed in T38 sprinting over recent years, it's certainly worth listening to Crates' two-cents.

"Sophie has been phenomenal since the World Championships in 2015," he said.

"She is testament to the legacy of London 2012 – she watched London 2012 on television and now she is one of our greatest Paralympic athletes.

"But the great thing about Paralympic sport is we're always finding new talent and there are these new athletes that are emerging on to the scene bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

"That just shows the power and passion we have for sport in this country."

Crates was speaking at the House of Commons to celebrate the new partnership between multinational sports-betting and gaming group GVC and charity SportsAid.

For the past 40 years SportsAid have helped support the next generation, with Crates and Hahn among those helping inspire others to strive for Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The 21-year-old is reigning Paralympic 100m champion and backed up her reputation as the world's best with three golds at the World Para Athletics European Championships in Berlin earlier this year.

And with the next Paralympic Games less than two years away, Crates seems to be aligning his excitement alongside his confidence for the Tokyo event – with both sky-high.

"Our British Para-athletics team is just phenomenal," added Crates.

"We perform at a really high level and the reason we do is not just because we have more talented athletes, it's the support and backing we get.

"We have great facilities, we have great access to coaches, training, everything you need to be an athlete – it's not just about the training, it's about the entire package. That's what we do well.

"We have a really exciting two years coming up, especially in athletics. We have the World Championships in Dubai next year and that will be the benchmark for Tokyo 2020.

"We already know from the preparations that the Tokyo Games are going to be really vibrant and exciting and the athletes are on that final journey now, they're in that direction."

Sportsbeat 2018