Paris was a tale of redemption for Great Ayton’s Charlie Tanfield, who had spent the previous three years trying to prove to anyone and everyone that he belonged, when every narrative around him at a major championships suggested he didn’t.

In Tokyo, the North Yorkshireman was the Olympic debutant fast-tacked into the Great Britain team pursuit squad following Ed Clancy’s abrupt retirement after a disappointing qualifying round.

He wasn’t even staying in the same hotel as the team, some out-of-town joint high on Covid protocols, when he was called up in the morning, under-prepared, dropped off the back and crashed into by a rival.

A year later he was the odd man out again, ill with Covid as the men’s team pursuit squad won the world title.

Redemption: Charlie Tanfield of Great Britain celebrates helping the team pursuit squad qualify for the Olympic final in which they won a silver medal (Picture: Alex Whitehead/SWPix.com)

Then in Glasgow just last summer, it was a crash of his own making in qualifying that ended Great Britain’s chances of defending their world title. Lesser athletes would have buckled in the face of such bad fortune, yet it merely strengthened Tanfield’s resolve.

“It did feel like redemption, absolutely,” Tanfield tells The Yorkshire Post, two weeks on from helping the team pursuit squad win a silver medal at the Paris Olympics.

“That was the whole reason why I wanted to go to Paris and do such a good job. I felt I had to do myself justice and show everyone what I can do.

“Tokyo was one of the low points of my career so I wanted to go to the Games and have a nice experience.

Charlie Tanfield and Daniel Bigham (Great Britain) celebrates qualifying for the gold medal final at Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines in Paris (Picture: Alex Whitehead/SWPix.com)

“The coach lost a bit of confidence in me after what happened in Tokyo and then Glasgow, so I had to prove myself and I think I’ve done that. It was all about the journey of trying to get into that team.”

Once he did, it was about knuckling down and helping a five-man squad including Ethan Hayter, Ethan Vernon, Dan Bigham and fellow Yorkshireman Ollie Wood reclaim Great Britain’s place at the top of the team pursuit podium.

Tanfield raced in two of the three rounds at the Saint-Quientin-en-Yvelines velodrome to the south west of Paris, including the final when Hayter famously collapsed onto his handlebars with exhaustion, such was exertion he and the team had expended in trying to keep up with the Australian quartet.

“The strategy was we knew we had to stretch ourselves as much as we could to try and get ourselves in the gold medal position,” says Tanfield. “I think he just kind of stretched himself too much and that was that. His arms gave way and he slipped forward a little bit.

Ethan Hayter, Daniel Bigham, Oliver Wood, left, Charlie Tanfield centre, and Ethan Vernon (Great Britain) on the podium receiving the Olympic Silver Medal in Paris (Picture: Alex Whitehead/SWPix.com)

“You always think afterwards could we have done this, could we have done that? But that’s hindsight and until you’re in that race you don’t know.”

He has watched the race back on television only once, when it finally dawned on him just how close they were for the entirety of the 4,000-metre race to the Australians.

It was not a golden redemption, but that silver medal is something to cherish nonetheless.

“Definitely something to be proud of,” says Tanfield.

“For me it was all about getting to the startline having not even been in the team a couple of years ago, it had been a long journey to get there.

“I felt as though we were capable of a medal, obviously we wanted the gold medal, but you can’t be disappointed with a silver medal.

“Our performance was the most we could have got out of ourselves for that spot.”

And at least he now has fond memories of an Olympics.

“The two are chalk and cheese,” he reflects. “Tokyo didn’t even feel like an Olympics, or a race for that matter. There were no crowds, no atmosphere, it was just like a track meet and you had to keep on telling yourself it was the Games. Whereas Paris was a packed stadium, great atmosphere. You felt the gravity of the whole thing.”

Unlike many Olympic medallists who will spend the next six months coming down from the highs of Paris, Tanfield and the track squad will be back in training soon, with a world championships in Denmark just two months away.

No Strictly Come Dancing or I’m a Celebrity for Tanfield. “Not a chance,” he laughs. “That’s not really my thing. For now I’m happy to enjoy the silver and get ready for worlds.”

At 27, with the highs and lows of an Olympic career experienced, he is already looking ahead to Los Angeles 2028.

“I’m motivated to carry on,” says Tanfield. “I’ve still got a few more things I want to achieve in the sport and that’s one of the aims.

“Everyone is keen to carry on, there’ll be the younger guys coming through trying to nick your spot, so you’ve got to keep on top of it.”

Charlie Tanfield interview: Yorkshire cyclist opens up on his Olympic redemption in Paris