Punt and breathe like an Olympic slalom medallist 

When you miss out on an Olympic medal by 0.16, it is extremely difficult to pick yourself up and get back onto the water.

Great Britain’s Adam Burgess would agree. After the heartbreak in Tokyo three years ago, it was redemption for him at Paris 2024.

The Stoke-on-Trent paddler claimed silver in the men’s canoe final, clocking 96.8.

Here are some tips from the man himself that helped him cruise to the podium spot in the French capital.  

Move: Punt or push off the wall 

Legal: It is within the rules and athletes won’t be penalised. 

Advantage: The wall is solid and it is easy to generate a lot of force and takes some technical difficulty out of it. 

When: Use it when the upstream gate is close to the wall.   

Move: Breathing technique

What: Heart rate speeds up while inhaling and slows down when you exhale. 

Before: Manipulate it by extending the exhale, slowing heart rate to feel a bit more relaxed pre-competition. 

Advantage: Holding breath can be useful during upstream gates and certain moves like bow rudder, to get intra-abdominal pressure for protecting the spine.