On a sweltering afternoon at Kingsmeadow Athletics and Fitness Centre, the cameras are trained on David Weir as he speeds around the track. He is only meant to go around twice. But he is enjoying himself too much and whizzes past us at the end of the second lap, even though the sun is beating down hard. “Once more for good luck,” he shouts before disappearing off into the distance.
That bonus burst was probably just for show. But make no mistake, Weir is feeling good. Hopes that one of the greatest athletes in the history of the Paralympic Games is going to bow out in memorable style in Rio next month do not look misplaced.
While Weir is cautious when it comes to discussing how many medals he wants to win in wheelchair racing this time, triumphing in each of his five events would be some way to say goodbye 20 years after he left his first Games weighed down by despondency. Yet the Paralympic movement has come a long way since Weir raced in front of the rows of empty seats at Atlanta 1996 that almost forced him to fall out of love with sport at the age of 17.
It is just as well for ParalympicsGB that he stuck with it. He collected bronze and silver in Athens in 2004 but the first time the world truly heard the Weirwolf’s roar was when he won two golds in Beijing in 2008. He made himself a genuine star by doubling that tally in London four years ago. “I pinch myself a bit when people send me messages about races that I’ve won and how long I’ve been racing,” Weir says. “To be competing with the best in the world still at a number of different distances, it’s been an honour.”
Weir, who will race in the 400m, 800m, 1,500m and 4x400m on the track, and in the marathon on the road, still has more to give. He is already thinking about the world championships in London next year and the marathon is prominent in his thoughts. “It is still in my plans, being back in London,” he says.
“It depends what happens in Rio. It’s been hard to get into really good shape for the track this year. Mentally it’s been hard to do that many events. I’m definitely going to carry on on the road. I’ve got two marathons after Rio. I’ll have a few days off and then get ready for Chicago and New York. Then I’ll carry that on because I feel I’m getting stronger in the marathon.”
Rio is the main focus for the time being. After struggling for his best form in 2015, Weir dominated at the European championships in Italy in June, claiming four golds in Grosseto. “It’s been a challenge. Trying to peak for the Paralympics seems to have been more of a challenge in the past couple of years but this year I seem to have upped my game a bit more.”
One change the Londoner has made is to replace the 5,000m with the 400m. “In London when I saw the 400m I was gutted that I didn’t do it because I thought I could have got a medal,” Weir says. “Not gold but I definitely could have medalled.
“I’m hoping in the long run it will save me with the last day in the marathon. After the 5km in the Europeans, I realised that I don’t really enjoy the 5km, to be honest. It’s too long for me on the track. I know I do the marathon but it’s a different way of racing.
“On the track, when it’s a competition like that it’s so draining, 12 and a half laps of continuously going in position and it’s going to go at a snail’s pace and it’s all about the last lap. It suits me but it’s just the mental strain of making sure you’re in the right position, making sure you’re behind someone or in the lead for the last lap.
“It took quite a lot out of me in London. I felt at the Euros, I did all right. It was my first 5km of the year. I decided to go with the 400m. I enjoy it, it’s one boom, you hit the high speed and try to hold it as long as possible. That’s what I like doing in training and it seems to be working this year.
“I have to train hardest for the marathon because I feel it’s my weakest event. If I train hard for the marathon everything else comes together in the track events. I’m No2 in the world. And I beat some Russians as well.”
He chuckles wryly. Weir has welcomed the International Paralympic Committee’s decision to ban Russia from Rio because of evidence of state‑sponsored doping.
That is one dark cloud hovering over these Games; the other is the news of major cuts to the budget in Rio, with venues being cancelled and organisers struggling to sell tickets for events. For Weir, it is a small reminder of his experience in Atlanta 20 years ago. The 37‑year‑old will get on with it but he fears those in their first Paralympics will be deflated.
At the same time, however, he is encouraged by the IPC’s response to the financial problems and points out that disability sport and its strength in depth is unrecognisable from 20 years ago. Weir cautions that no medal will come easily.
“That’s the biggest change,” he says. “Most of the athletes are professional and train day in, day out. Their governing bodies and sponsors support them, especially in the Asian countries, from Japan to China and Thailand. They push them. It’s good to see. Being part of the world major marathons is a major step forward for us. There’s more money involved. From 1996 until now, it’s totally different.”
And he is already in the mood after soaking up Team GB’s achievements at the Olympics. “Watching the guys do well does give you a bit of a buzz in training, beating China’s medal haul and winning things like kayaking,” Weir says. “My five-year-old son couldn’t stop watching; boxing, football, BMXing.
“In London I put a target on my back but I’ve not done that here. It will be my last Paralympics and I just want to medal. If I come away with a medal I’ll be happy. My coach is telling me that I’m quicker and faster than I’ve ever been, so that gives me a lot of confidence. I don’t put pressure on myself by saying I’m going to go and win five.”
