14 Saturday February 18 2012 | the times Sport Thebig read ‘It’sreallygood to TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER, ANDY DAVIES Manwithworld on hisbackintenton promoteapositive atoningfor

Athletics image ...butI’m Rick Broadbent Athletics Correspondent Today’s highlights Pressure? Try this. Abillion people want you to win. The state limits your 6 Aviva Grand Prix, phone calls so you can train harder. 1.03pm: Women’s pole vault. New You get driven to the private rooms of sensation Holly Bleasdale seeks further doingitfor myself’ karaoke bars in ablacked-out limo. big scalps. Then, on your life-changing day of 1.31pm: Women’s 60m hurdles. Jessica days, it all goes wrong. Ennis targets anew personal best. If anyone can tell the likes of Jessica 2.31pm: Men’s 800 metres. Can Joe Ennis and Mo Farah about the weight Thomas do it in elite company? Thesuccess of Ellie Simmonds, our newParalympics columnist, of expectation, it is Xiang. Astar of 2.56pm: Women’s long jump. Ennis Beckham-esque proportions in , goes again. hasthrustdwarfismintothe public eye, reports Alyson Rudd he has also been likened to Michael 3.40pm: Women’s 1,500 metres. Jordan by Nike officials. So when he Hannah England’s first big test of 2012. walked away from his 110 metres hur- 3.52pm: Men’s . Liu tthe age of 11, Simmonds will be one of the first dles heat at the Beijing Olympics in Xiang vDayron Robles —unmissable. Ellie Simmonds, among her school friends to pass her 2008, crippled by an Achilles problem, 4.03pm: Men’s 60 metres. who has Making of astar driving test. She has aMini One Hatch, it was the sigh that shook the world. is the star turn. dwarfism, took which BMW, as an Olympic partner, has His coach, Sun Haiping, broke down 4.14pm: Men’s two miles. Mo Farah fell the part of the 6 Ellie Simmonds trains for adapted with afalse floor in the driver’s in tears in the press conference. in his last race. Now he goes for the giant in her 18 hours each week in the foot-well and pedal extensions — China’s athletics deputy director, Feng European indoor record. school’s pool plus two hours in the although Simmonds seemed more Shuyong, said that he felt deeply sorry 6 Television, live on BBC One from 1pm Christmas gym over six days. She gets excited about the car’s mood lighting. She for Liu. “Girls like him, old ladies like production. up at 5.20am. has passed the theory section and should him, even men,” he said. A Even at that 6 She goes to school in have no trouble with her test; she drove Four years on and Liu is seeking Ennis and Farah have said that their young age the Paralympic swimmer was but has weekends me around her old haunts near closure. He has an Olympic gold from dream for this year is to stay fit and at all too aware of irony, of toying with at home in Walsall. with as much competence as aseasoned 2004 and broke the world record in least give themselves the chance that expectations. 6 At her first swimming taxi driver. 2006, but he would have traded both to Liu never had. But talk to him and you At the Beijing four club, aged 4, the instructor “You have to look all over the place,” be fit on August 18, 2008, in Beijing. In- get an inkling of what it must be like to years ago she surprised amuch larger thought that she would Simmonds says of learning to drive. “My stead, he walked out of the Bird’s Nest have acareer hinge on one or two days. audience when, at 13, she won gold in the drown and clung on to her friend told me to tie my hair back and put Stadium and issued apublic apology. It is adreadful game of chance. 100 metres freestyle. throughout each lesson. on dangly earrings so they [instructors] Little has changed. He said that he There has been alife after the death For many of us, the moment she won 6 By 10, Simmonds had a can hear you are looking.” was trailed by photographers as he of adream, but it has been tough. He the first of two gold medals remains a hit list of swimmers she Of course people look, often stare, at went to airport to fly to had ayear out, returned only to con- highlight not only of the 2008 needed to beat. “She would dwarfs and, for many, an instant Britain for today’s Aviva Grand Prix cede that his foot injury had not healed Paralympics, but also the entire Olympic look at who was connection is made; dwarfs are funny, we in Birmingham. He is perfectly placed and had afurther six-month hiatus. experience that year. Simmonds burst swimming,” says Val, her see them in panto or in comedy. to offer advice to Ennis and Farah, the Then, at the World Championships into tears of happiness and there wasn’t a mother. “And she would Simmonds’s exploits in Beijing have new Olympic pin-ups who are also in , , last summer, dry eye in many houses back home. look at who got the time changed the connotations. Dwarfs can be competing at the National Indoor Liu looked back to his best. However, But back to the Christmas play. On the just above her in that competitive, committed and successful Arena this weekend. he was inadvertently hauled back by first night, Simmonds missed the cue for stroke and she would say, sports stars. “When the Olympics are coming to , of , in the final delivering her lines, then fell off the stage. ‘I’m going to try and beat “I think since Beijing the publicity we’re your country, it is natural to have great and the loss of momentum denied him “It went abit wrong,” she says. “Looking them today.” getting is amazing,” Simmonds says. “But pressure,” he said. “To be frank, the bur- the gold. He was elevated from bronze back it is quite funny; at the time it was 6 Aged 12, she had an there are still bad concepts, like the den Ihad in Beijing was much, much to silver after Robles was disqualified, quite embarrassing.” operation to straighten her Oompa-Loompas from Charlie and the greater than the one Ihave now. My but Jason Richardson, of the United The next evening her performance was legs that involved four Chocolate Factory and Seven Dwarves [the advice to them is to shut everything out States, took the title. fine. It was the same two years later in figure-of-eight plates being Channel 4series]. That isn’t right. We’re a and concentrate only on themselves; Liu appeared remarkably phlegmat- Beijing, when she let nerves affect her placed on the ends of her laughing stock in some programmes.” try to do the little things well and never ic about the controversy as he prepared first event —the 200 metres individual bones. Afterwards she The feedback from the Dwarf Athletic think about the result.” to face Robles for the first time since medley —dashing medal expectations, needed aZimmer frame Association, according to Val, Ellie’s Liu’s story is an extraordinary one that night. “It was avery beautiful acci- only to get back in the pool to win her and could not swim mother, is that her success has helped then leave her, because it was so hard that because they also benefit from her career. the limo and speak in front of the whole Online today second in the 100 metres freestyle. “I was rooted in the ordinary. His mother dent,” he said. “I have no problem with next final. It made her famous, success properly. Beijing was dwarfs in their everyday lives to be early,” Val says. Ellie did set her alarm She recently took them along to a school. Isaid no to it, but my mum said I upset about it, but Ithink it made me worked in afood factory and his father him.” Instead, Liu thinks that his rival- she is hoping to repeat at 2012. not on her radar, but a viewed as more than pantomime and never since has she needed mum to Sainsbury’s Super Saturday Concert (she had to do it. Iasked if my mum couldn’t In aspecialvideo stronger,” she says. “I knew why Ilost. I drove atruck. Acareer as asprint ry with Robles and Richardson will “Some people, especially older people, year later she won characters. “It’s really good to promote chivvy her along in the mornings. is an Active Kids ambassador, along with cancel it and she said no. My friends said had my GCSEs two weeks before and I hurdler seemed impossible. Even the lead to aworld record this year. Robles when they recognise me, because Iwas 13 two Paralympic gold that positive image,” Simmonds says. “But However, it has been necessary, on David Beckham) where they met The to just get it out the way and afterwards introducingour was stressed about them.” People’s Daily,the Communist Party is the holder with atime of 12.87sec. “It at Beijing they think I’m still 13 when medals. I’m not doing it for anybody else, I’m occasion, for Ellie to do the nagging. Wanted, the Irish boy band. we just went to the park and chilled. newcolumnist, The beach is yards from Simmonds’s newspaper, said that the Chinese suf- depends on the surface and the shape actually I’m 17,” she says. “I hate that, 6 Personal best competing because Ireally enjoy it. I’m Her friends from swimming rise early At school, Simmonds wants to leave “I’ll never do it again. I’m quite shy at modern townhouse in Swansea. As we fered from “congenital shortcomings” of the athletes, but when all the factors when they say, ‘Ah, you’re that little 50m freestyle, 36.03sec doing it for myself.” and understand that late-night cinema behind the medals and the glory and plug school. In school it should be different. I EllieSimmonds stroll and Iwonder at how formidable a that made them unable to beat black come together it will happen,” Liu said. swimmer.’ Ijust want to be treated like an (British record); The proof that she does it for herself outings are out of the question, but what away, like anyone else. So when, after the don’t want the hype. We don’t talk about explainswhy it’s character she is, awhippet dashes in front and white athletes. Then the 21-year- Ennis will compete in the long jump older person. Probably my height as well 400m freestyle, 5min came when she was 11 and was asked to be about school friends? Simmonds does not triumph of Beijing, her school organised a the swimming at school at all.” of us and Simmonds grasps my arm in old won Olympic gold and proclaimed: and hurdles in Birmingham today, makes it difficult for them.” 25.20sec (world record); in the water by 5am for training if she think that she is considered odd or wacky limousine for her first day back, she was There are few shades of grey with cool to writefor fright. It is aflash of understandable “I think we Chinese can unleash a while Farah steps up to two miles. She is, in fact, more mature than many 100m freestyle 1:15.97 wanted to take the sport seriously. Her at school for being so committed to a mortified. Television cameras were at the Simmonds. Losing is “horrible”, even if TheTimes –and vulnerability, an example of how the yellow tornado on the world.” It Asafa Powell, of Jamaica, is 17-year-olds. She has swum for six years (world record); parents were supportive of her passion for demanding training regime. All her gate and she was asked to give aspeech in flanked by gold medal-winning world is that bit scarier when you are remains aone-man tornado. the star sprinter and with people older than her and her best 200m individual medley swimming, but decided not to set the friends are different, she says. Some are front of all the other pupils. performances —asatthe IPC what notdowhen small —and areminder that her “I am the only one who can do this,” Asha Philip, of Great friend and “training buddy” is Matt 3:08.98 (world record). alarm. If Ellie was really that keen, they shy, some are loud. She does not feel that “That was the worst day of my life,” she (International Paralympic Committee) meetingthe Queen achievements are extraordinary. he said. “I am representing not only Britain, needs agood Whorwood, 22, who has dwarfism and Words by Alyson Rudd thought, she would set it herself. they make so-called sacrifices for her by says. “I just wanted to come back with no European Championships in Berlin last 6 Ellie Simmonds will be writing regularly China but the whole of Asia. Icherish race to give herself a also competes in the disability class. “We said, if she doesn’t get herself up, seeing the early showing of afilm, fuss, but Ihad to have that welcome with year. Shewon two gold medals but came thetimes.co.uk/olympics in The Times in Olympic year. these Games because Iwon gold in chance of making the

SEQUENCE: TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER, MARC ASPLAND , but then had the big problem World Indoor Champi- Making asplash: in Beijing. London is coming and it’s an onship after false-starting the style of opportunity to satisfy everything and in last week’s trials. Simmonds racing everyone.” The biggest through the He finds himself drifting clash, though, water struck a back to Beijing every now features the chord with the and again. “It was avery big man who British public disaster for me,” he said. “I broke a and she will be never had that problem billion hoping to repeat before and it had to be in hearts. her gold Beijing. During the medal-winning warm-up Ihad the prob- exploits in lem. Ifelt abig pain and London as knew in my heart I The Times’s couldn’t finish the race. I face of had to go. You can’t imagine how Paralympics 2012 sad Iwas. To understand took a long time.”