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Stevenson's memories coloured by unfortunate mat finish
FEW Olympic medallists can have re-entered society with as bitter a taste in their mouth as Sarah Stevenson.
Of the 47 medals Great Britain won in Beijing, the one claimed in the most controversial of fashions is still proving 'hard to take' for the 25-year-old taekwondo bronze medallist, even after two months.
The Doncaster woman's victory in the bronze-medal match in the heavyweight category was soured by her controversial defeat to China's Zhong Chen in the quarter-final.
It was a farcical decision by judges who failed to mark a clinical kick to her opponent's teeth from Stevenson.
After complaints from the British camp the result was over-turned, but only 10 minutes before the scheduled semi-final, which an under-prepared and emotional Stevenson lost, injuring her ankle in the process.
Despite the drama and the injury, she composed herself to beat Noha Abd Rabo of Egypt and at least take something from the day.
Two months on, Stevenson is proud of the medal she won, but the fact that it was not the gold she craved is still a bitter pill to swallow.
"It's still hard to take," said Stevenson, who was making her third appearance at the Olympics. "I'm still a bit down about it. I wanted the Olympics to go perfectly which it was until then. It was such a dramatic day and I still managed to come away with something.
"I went to Beijing knowing I could win the gold, but I didn't get the chance to show that and that's what is really hard to take.
"I wish I could go back in time and do it again.
"After all that happened I'm just proud that I got something out of it. I had a lot of support from the staff there and my friends and family."
After her dubious defeat she spoke of chucking in the towel on the sport for good, but having had time to reflect, she confesses her mind may well be swayed by the opportunity to finally claim gold at London 2012.
"I'd like to but I'll see how it goes," she said. "I think it will be great to compete in front of your home crowd and hopefully I'll still be doing it."
The injury she suffered in the semi-final has yet to fully heal, preventing Stevenson from doing any contact training on her return to England.
So while her integration back into normal life has not been the joyous homecoming of some of her medal-winning colleagues, she is still playing the role of an Olympic hero.
"I'm doing a lot of stuff with the media and with my family and friends," she said, at the launch of BBC Sport's Unsung Hero Award. "When I can look back and see that I won a medal then that is great. But this is my job, my life, and it doesn't change me."
Stevenson's own Unsung Hero is her first mentor Gary Sykes, chief coach of the All Stars Taekwondo Club in Doncaster.
"This is an award for people who work behind the scenes to help us get where we are today. Gary is my unsung hero; he's been teaching me since I was seven. I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for my parents and my coach."
The Yorkshire winner will join the other 14 regional finalists at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards in December.
Nominate your Unsung Hero at www.bbc.co.uk/sportsunsunghero before October 31.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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