By Elizabeth HudsonBBC Sport
19 February 2024
Image source, ParalympicsGB
Image caption, Dan Bethell is a three-time European champion
Dan Bethell should have been delighted when he created history at the 2021 Paralympics – but the Para-badminton player left Tokyo disappointed.
He became Britain’s first Paralympic medallist in the sport, which was making its Games debut, with silver in the SL3 category, yet he wanted gold.
The pain of losing to Indian rival Pramod Bhagat has driven the 28-year-old on to become world number one in his category going into this week’s World Championships in Thailand, which start on Tuesday, and the Paralympics in Paris later in the year.
“Losing in the final in Tokyo was one of the most difficult moments of my career because I desperately wanted to become Paralympic champion,” Englishman Bethell tells BBC Sport.
“But it was also one of the best things because it taught me a lot about myself and how to address the loss.
“I have really pushed on from there and I don’t think I would be as good a player as I am now – and won what I have won since – if I hadn’t lost that match.”
Bethell – who has right-sided hemiplegia, which affects the muscle tone and strength on that side of his body – took up badminton aged 13 and with world silver and bronzes to his name, only a global gold is missing from his collection.
Bhagat, who holds both the world and Paralympic titles, remains one of his main rivals. The pair know each other well with Bethell holding the upper hand in 2023 as he claimed five titles.
“I know as world number one there is a big target on my back because he wants to regain his status and to retain his titles. Having that rivalry is a massive bonus to keep me pushing forward,” he says.
“But I can’t get complacent and just pretend it is all about Pramod. Nitesh Kumar, who is world number three, has pushed me close as well.
“Everyone is so competitive at the top at the moment and I don’t feel like going in as world number one is an added pressure for me. At the end of the day, when it comes to crunch time in elite sport, seeding is just a number, it is what you do on the day that counts.
“My main drive is to go to these tournaments, be the best in the world and become world champion and Paralympic champion. If I could win both titles in the same year, it would be an amazing achievement.”
Bethell, who has combined his sport with studying for a Masters in international and commercial law, will be part of a seven-strong Great Britain team in Thailand with Tokyo bronze medallist Krysten Coombs and three-time world champion Rachel Choong also included, although the experienced Jack Shephard misses out through injury.
After impressing on his Paralympic debut, Bethell says he is better prepared for this summer’s Games in France.
“Experience is definitely the best teacher so I am confident going into Paris,” he says.
“To have that first Games experience in Tokyo really helped me because I know what to expect. Obviously there will be a few differences this time – we will have crowds so there will be adjustments but to have that platform and knowing things like how the village works and what it is like and competing in a big stadium will be a really good thing.
“But we have to prepare our minds for having big crowds. As the sport has grown, our crowds are getting bigger at our World Championships but we won’t have experienced anything on the scale that we will see in Paris.”
Source link : https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/disability-sport/68143268.amp
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Publish date : 2024-02-19 08:00:00
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