‘Five medals are on the cards’ - Great Britain swimmer Tom Dean sets record-breaking goal ahead of 2024 Paris Olympics

Updated 20/03/2024 at 16:05 GMT

Great Britain’s Tom Dean has hopes of clinching up to five medals at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. The two-time Olympic gold medallist enjoyed success at the Games in Tokyo in 2021 and has since been racking up medals at the Commonwealth Games and World Championships. Now, Dean wants to reach a feat never before achieved. “I sat down with my coach and we said five medals is on the cards.”

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Great Britain swimmer and two-time Olympic gold medallist Tom Dean is targeting an incredible five-medal haul at the Games in Paris next year.

Dean won gold in both the 200m freestyle and 4x200m freestyle relay at the Tokyo Games in 2021 and backs himself to deliver even more in 2024.

“I sat down with my coach and we said five medals is on the cards,” he told the BBC.

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“We want to do it, we're able to do it and it would be the most ever from a Team GB athlete at one Games, which is super exciting and the opportunity to write my name in the record books. It's a bit scary but really cool at the same time.

“I know what training I'm capable of and fortunately, I'm a multi-eventer. We've been presented with this opportunity and I want to grab it with both hands and give it my best shot and see what we can produce in Paris.

“I'm not afraid of saying this is what I'm going to go for. If it doesn't pan out, that's the nature of sport. But we will have given it our best shot and hopefully will come away with a few medals.”

Dean got a taste for medal success during the last edition of the Olympic Games in Japan and won seven more at the Commonwealth Games and four at the World Championships the following year.

TOKYO, JAPAN - JULY 28: Tom Dean, James Guy, Matthew Richards and Duncan Scott of Team Great Britain celebrate with their gold medals during the medal ceremony for the Men's 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay Final on day five of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Tok

Image credit: Eurosport

Although the 23-year-old is lining up a medal haul never before achieved by a GB athlete, he remains focused on the short-term future.

“It's dangerous for an athlete to start thinking about legacy too early on,” he admitted.

“I want to put everything in place to give myself the best chance to think about it, but I don't want to think about the end product just yet.

“The best way to deal with it is to think about it purely in a logical way, strip emotion out of it, just be really mentally strong and go into it with the best plan and the best training you can possibly do.

“I never want to come across as too cocky or arrogant but for me it's a confidence thing, because I know if I do the hard training I can put in good performances on the day, so I'm not afraid of saying this is what I want to do.

“I want everyone to get behind Team GB and I really want to go and make Olympic history.”

The Paris 2024 Olympics start on July 26.

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The Olympic Games will return with Paris 2024, live on Eurosport and discovery+, the Eurosport app and at eurosport.com

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