There has been plenty of rain at Wimbledon this week but if it continues during the Olympics at least our Great Britain team won’t be too disadvantaged.
While Andy and his team had to find various ways to kill time on site at these Championships, the GB players will be able to go back to a house we are renting close to the grounds during the Games.
Paul Hutchins, father of our doubles player Ross, has been co-ordinating the preparations and the house will have all the equipment we need, including a DVD facility to do video analysis of opponents. The house is important because the Olympic village is so far away and if there is a rainy day, then players can return there to have physio, sleep or eat.
It will give us a good base and while Andy is planning to stay at home, he will be able to use the house here at Wimbledon and that’s important in terms of handling everything that happens during the tournament — particularly the weather!
I went to the Beijing Olympics to watch Andy and Jamie competing but I also stayed on for a holiday and managed to see handball, hockey and badminton amongst many different events and also got to watch the pole vault final, which I loved.
What was challenging about the Olympics compared to a Grand Slam is that instead of Andy being accredited with his whole team, only he and his coach were admitted while the rest of the guys had to be off site.
I queued up with what appeared to be hundreds of people to see Andy play and by the time I got into the stadium he was halfway through the first set!
Over the last two Olympics the tennis event has taken off — it is a priority for everyone now which may not have been the case three or four Games ago. When it was introduced it wasn’t seen as important as the Grand Slams and that is changing because the players now have the opportunity to be involved in the biggest show on Earth and mix with so many different sports people.
Staying in the Olympic village is, obviously, a big part of being involved in the Games but in Beijing the more experienced players preferred to be in hotels and do what was right for them.
Read More
It is tempting to be part of the village but you have to do whatever is necessary to help you perform to the best of your ability.
That is why some competitors may decide to miss the opening ceremony because it starts late and takes time to complete and that could be a factor in terms of preparation if your event is the next day. Other nations are providing houses for their players so there will be a little Olympic community around Wimbledon during the Games.
To find out more about the Set4Sport programme, which is supported by RBS and to download the free app visit www.Set4Sport.com or facebook.com/set4sport
