Joe Fraser trying to enjoy Olympic journey after fourth-placed finish in team final
Joe Fraser is making sure to stop and smell the roses on his Olympic debut and a fourth-place finish in the men’s team final was a pretty sweet scent.
The Birmingham gymnast joined fellow Olympic newbies James Hall and Gianni Regini-Moran, as well as ‘father figure’ Max Whitlock, in helping Team GB to fourth place in the team event – matching the result from Rio 2016.
Whitlock’s spectacular pommel horse routine on the final rotation saw the Brits leapfrog USA and while the top three of the Russian Olympic Committee, Japan and China were some way clear, Hall’s consistency on all six apparatus was pivotal to the final total.
He cleared 14 points on every piece except the floor, boding well for his tilt at the individual all-around final on Wednesday, and the 22-year-old admits he gets more nervous when competing in the team environment.
“Team finals are always very nerve-wracking,” said Hall. “You want your best for your friends and your teammates who you class as brothers because you’ve trained together for so long.
“I do feel that pressure because I want to do well for them. Performing under that pressure makes you feel amazing. It’s great fun and being out there with friends you class as family is always great.
“I’m over the moon with my performances so far at the Olympics. I’m trying to take them all in my stride, enjoy the moments.
“Every second I’m out there, I’m trying to make the most of because I’ve done 17 years of gymnastics to get here.
“For this two-week period, I’m soaking up every second I can. In the all-around final I plan to enjoy myself, go for broke and see what happens.”
With two more individual finals to come – the all-around on Wednesday and the parallel bars next Tuesday – Fraser’s debut Olympics are far from over.
And as attention turns to the all-around, where he qualified fifth best – suggesting a potential medal push is not a ridiculous thought – the West Midlander is planning his tactics.
“I potentially might upgrade a few apparatus [difficulty of routine] to go all out,” he added. “I’m going to make sure I’ve got some good rest and recovery for Wednesday as well.”
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