Denise Lewis Talks Team GB's World Champ Chances

Denise Lewis achieved the ultimate prize in sport back in 2000 when she won Olympic gold for the heptathlon.

Just over ten years on and she is now a member of the BBC athletics team as she watches over the new generation.

She is currently fronting a new Make Mine Milk campaign and I caught up with her to chat about that, London 2012 and Team GB's chances at the world champs in Daegu.

- You are currently working on the Make Mine Milk campaign so can you tell me a little bit about it?

The campaign is trying to raise the profile of milk and is targeting predominately teenage girls trying to show them the health benefits of drinking milk, that's it's very low fat and that there are huge varieties of milk for people to enjoy.

So it's basically raising it's profile - it's a fantastic drink and something that I have been drinking for many years.

- How and why did you get involved?

Because I love milk! I saw some of the earlier poster that proceeded this campaign and I just thought that it was such a clever little think, having those milk moustaches, and I thought 'I wonder if I could do that?'

But it gets the message across because you can't help but look at it. So when I was approached to get involved I thought 'yes that's brilliant'.

- You enjoyed a very successful career on the track so how would you sum up your career when you look back on it now?

I think I have been very fortunate, I have also worked very hard to get to the top of my game, and it makes me very proud.

But there is also that inner satisfaction that I was determined and persevered at something where I had no idea of what the outcome might be. I committed myself to it and that makes me very proud.

- How much do you miss your athletics days?

I miss it but I also think that I was part of a great era, a great decade of sport; in particular for women that keeps growing and growing.

So I do miss it but I have so many other things to replace that now and with the 2012 Olympics just around the corner I still feel very much part of it and very much the athlete and a connection to the sport.

- We now see you working predominately working for the BBC so how do you find being on the other side of the fence as it were?

Well I enjoy it, I really enjoy watching the athletes up close and personal.When I first retired I felt like I had to be away from the sport, I had to breathe as a way of letting go almost.

But now that I have come back and being part of the BBC team I feel refreshed that I can be objective about what I am seeing without being too critical because it is hard, as an athlete, but at the same time as a journalist you have to be objective and tell it as it is basically - it has to be a constructive critique if you like.

- The world championships in Daegu are almost upon us so what kind of overall performance are you expecting from the British team and who do you see as being the real medal contenders?

The last couple of years Team GB have been building and re-grouping, in Berlin and Barcelona how the team is more galvanised and the performances are starting to come. So I think that the team can do very well in Daegu which will be a great sign of what we can expect next year in London.

Who am I expecting to come away with a medal? Obviously Jessica Ennis, I don't think that there's anyone that can challenge her that I can see; Phillip Idowu he can definitely come away with a medal but he has to remain focused; Dai Green, I would be surprised if he doesn't come away with a medal - I won't say gold but it is there for the taking.

I also think that the women's 4x4 team could do very well, I think that they could surprise a few people; we may pick up the odd surprise in the javelin as Goldie Sayers is throwing well again; the men's 4x100 if they don't drop the battle - in the relays anything can happen.

Any other outside chances... Jenny Meadows she has run brilliantly and again if she can be really confident and run her own race she could sneak a medal.

So all in all there are a handful of athletes that really are starting to show a lot of potential and continue to be dominant on the world stage - I think that that breads confidence amongst the team that they are able to get in amongst the medals.

It's very very hard in athletics because it's very different from a lot of the sports - I do really believe that athletics is a truly global sport as we have countries from every part of the world that have a representation in the game. So it's very competitive and medals are very hard to come by.

- The Olympics are now less than twelve months away so how excited are you at the prospect of a home games?

Very excited, in fact I can just about keep it under my hat (laughs). I want it to be here now basically but I know that there is still plenty to be done for both the athletes and the infrastructure.

I can't wait, I think it will be a great Games, the atmosphere will be incredible; one thing we Brits know who to do is celebrate.

I think London itself will be vibrant and live with action and I just hope that that energy transmits around the UK and I hope that people just embrace it and don't miss out on this opportunity.

- How impressed have been with the venues that have so far been completed?

Well I was at the launch of the Year To Go with the opening of the aquatic centre and that was just amazing, absolutely breathtaking. I would say it's the jewel in the crown really it's beautiful and the layout is fantastic.

Mark Foster (who swam in the pool for the opening) said that it feels great, that's alien to me I don't know what he means (laughs). 

It bodes well for the future it really does because if we can have those types of facilities and a legacy that I home comes from having a Games on home soil we can look forward to a vibrant future in sport.

- Well that's my next question really what do you hope the Olympics will do in getting the next generation into sport?

I just think that the athletes of 2012 will become household names and become stars and they will inspire the next generation of sports stars.

And I just hope that every community just feels part of the Games and they can use that to get kids engaged and focused on sport and that they get the health befits and what can be achieved.

I know that funding is very difficult at the moment but the facilities are there to inspire children to take part.

- All eyes are going to be on Jess Ennis in London she is very much the poster girl and carrying many of our hopes - are our expectations a little unfair bearing in mind this will be her first Olympic Games?

That is something to be considered, we are going to have huge expectation on our athletes Jess in particular. She will have to manage herself and be prepared for anything.

We shouldn't hang medals around people's necks because it is a dangerous thing to do - sport is unpredictable and that's why we love it so much.

You are right this is her first Olympics and the stats show that people usually springboard after their first Olympics to do better at the next one - Jess is expected to win in her first Olympics and that is a tall order.

I think that she is in a great place right now and in 12 months I just hope that she can be stronger. She is very level headed and I think that that will hold her in good stead.

- Having been an Olympian yourself how with athletes structure the final year of preparation before the games?

There is a lot to be done, there is a world championships coming up for out athletes first. I think that you have to go about it as you would any other championships - the only thing that is different between these Games and any other is the weight of expectation; but the athletes can use that to their advantage.

I would say that they should follow their programme as they would normally, try and stay injury free and make sure that they are doing the right things; not only in the field of play but away from wherever they compete and train.

But just enjoy it as it is a great time to be involved in sport at the moment and you have got to enjoy it you can't fear these next twelve months it's got to be embraced.

- How strong would you say British athletics is at the moment? And what more do you feel needs to be done to compete with the likes of the USA and Jamaica?

I think we are strong and we are in a very good position now we are starting to see some depth in events where we have had a lot of absentees in the past 3,4 or 5 years - those voids are starting to be filled now.

It's very difficult to win medals and be dominant in a lot of the event where you have a global sport where people are competing to a very very high standard - but that should not deter from the confidence that we have to have.

We have people that can do such as Jess Ennis and Phillips Idowu. And Jenny Meadows is a great example of when you put yourself in the right place at the right time then you can win medals and that only builds confidence.

- With the Olympics being so close there is a big push to get kids into sport so for anyone who is looking to get into athletics what sort of advice would you give them?

Go and find you nearest club - there are clubs out there that are just yearning for kids to walk through the door.

Try a whole host of events before you specialise - a lot of people go into an event thinking 'I have seen this on TV and it looks great' - but there are a lot of events to do in athletics and I think that you should try everything first before deciding what to do.

- Finally what’s next for you?

Well it's the world championships in Daegu, I'm looking forward to that and I think that it will be a good championships. I'm going to put my neck on the line and say that this could be the year where Usain Bolt gets beaten. But you just never know.

FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw

Denise Lewis is part of team Milk and is supporting the ‘make mine Milk’ campaign. For more information on the campaign, please visit makemineMilk.co.uk or facebook.com/makemineMilk.

Denise Lewis achieved the ultimate prize in sport back in 2000 when she won Olympic gold for the heptathlon.

Just over ten years on and she is now a member of the BBC athletics team as she watches over the new generation.

She is currently fronting a new Make Mine Milk campaign and I caught up with her to chat about that, London 2012 and Team GB's chances at the world champs in Daegu.

- You are currently working on the Make Mine Milk campaign so can you tell me a little bit about it?

The campaign is trying to raise the profile of milk and is targeting predominately teenage girls trying to show them the health benefits of drinking milk, that's it's very low fat and that there are huge varieties of milk for people to enjoy.

So it's basically raising it's profile - it's a fantastic drink and something that I have been drinking for many years.

- How and why did you get involved?

Because I love milk! I saw some of the earlier poster that proceeded this campaign and I just thought that it was such a clever little think, having those milk moustaches, and I thought 'I wonder if I could do that?'

But it gets the message across because you can't help but look at it. So when I was approached to get involved I thought 'yes that's brilliant'.

- You enjoyed a very successful career on the track so how would you sum up your career when you look back on it now?

I think I have been very fortunate, I have also worked very hard to get to the top of my game, and it makes me very proud.

But there is also that inner satisfaction that I was determined and persevered at something where I had no idea of what the outcome might be. I committed myself to it and that makes me very proud.

- How much do you miss your athletics days?

I miss it but I also think that I was part of a great era, a great decade of sport; in particular for women that keeps growing and growing.

So I do miss it but I have so many other things to replace that now and with the 2012 Olympics just around the corner I still feel very much part of it and very much the athlete and a connection to the sport.

- We now see you working predominately working for the BBC so how do you find being on the other side of the fence as it were?

Well I enjoy it, I really enjoy watching the athletes up close and personal.When I first retired I felt like I had to be away from the sport, I had to breathe as a way of letting go almost.

But now that I have come back and being part of the BBC team I feel refreshed that I can be objective about what I am seeing without being too critical because it is hard, as an athlete, but at the same time as a journalist you have to be objective and tell it as it is basically - it has to be a constructive critique if you like.

- The world championships in Daegu are almost upon us so what kind of overall performance are you expecting from the British team and who do you see as being the real medal contenders?

The last couple of years Team GB have been building and re-grouping, in Berlin and Barcelona how the team is more galvanised and the performances are starting to come. So I think that the team can do very well in Daegu which will be a great sign of what we can expect next year in London.

Who am I expecting to come away with a medal? Obviously Jessica Ennis, I don't think that there's anyone that can challenge her that I can see; Phillip Idowu he can definitely come away with a medal but he has to remain focused; Dai Green, I would be surprised if he doesn't come away with a medal - I won't say gold but it is there for the taking.

I also think that the women's 4x4 team could do very well, I think that they could surprise a few people; we may pick up the odd surprise in the javelin as Goldie Sayers is throwing well again; the men's 4x100 if they don't drop the battle - in the relays anything can happen.

Any other outside chances... Jenny Meadows she has run brilliantly and again if she can be really confident and run her own race she could sneak a medal.

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