On the Podium

"This is my dream." There had never been an Olympic track and field champion from India. But Neeraj Chopra changed everything for his country. His amazing journey from a rural village climaxed with a gold medal in the men’s javelin at the Tokyo Games. Neeraj is now dedicated to inspiring the next generation of Indian athletes.

"All the things I went through": What a medal meant for a US shot-putter who used an Olympic ceremony to send a message. Raven Saunders hit the headlines in Tokyo when she made an X shape with her arms on the podium. Her aim? To show "the intersection of where all people who are oppressed meet". The silver medal winner is black, gay and has spoken frankly about her struggles with depression.

Jana Pittman was a world champion hurdler, but injury halted her Olympic dreams. She came back to compete on the ice, and became Australia's first Summer and Winter Olympian when she joined the country's bobsleigh team. She’s also a medical doctor, a mother-of-six and an advocate for women's health.Image: A bright coloured background of yellows and orange and red with the backend of a bobsleigh being pushed by a figure in the all green of Australia (Illustration by Phil Smith)

The blind swimmer breaking records and stereotypes. After losing her vision as a teenager, Anastasia Pagonis broke the world record to take Paralympic gold in Tokyo. Now, she uses her platform as a social media star to break down stereotypes.Illustration: A bright coloured background of yellows and orange on the top and turquoise blue splashing up from underneath. A swimmer is rising mid stroke. her painted fingernails are visible, she is wearing a swimming hat with Pagonis on the side and blacked out swimming goggles (Illustration by Phil Smith)

A golden moment. Why a high jumper put friendship above personal glory. Gianmarco Tamberi leapt to the top of the competition at the Tokyo Olympics - but couldn't be separated from his main rival. A serious injury and a special friendship helped Gianmarco make a momentous decision.Illustration: A bright coloured background of yellows, red and orange with the figure of a man mid flight, bending over the high jump bar wearing multi coloured spikes and a vest in the blue of Italy with the name Tamberi on the front (Illustration by Phil Smith)

Kate and Helen Richardson-Walsh relive the thrilling moment they won gold as part of the Great Britain field hockey team in a penalty shoot-out in Rio in 2016.What is it like to win as a team? How do you create cohesion and spirit in a group, and what challenges does being partners off the field present to the whole team when you are on it?We also look at how attitudes to LBGTQ+ people vary across sports. Why do some sports seem more welcoming and inclusive than others?

One of only four Indian women to ever have won an Olympic medal, wrestler Sakshi Malik has has inspired a generation to pursue success in a field they thought wasn't open to them. She tells us how she fought back in the very last moment to snatch a bronze medal in the Rio Games, and in doing so changed not only the trajectory of her life, but attitudes to women, women's sport and women in wrestling in India.

Having lost his sight as a child, Lex Gillette discovered new purpose in his life when he took up athletics. A talented runner, Lex is also a multiple Paralympic long jump medallist, and an advocate for blind people in all areas of life.And whilst he knows a thing or two about winning - he’s a triple IPC World Champion - his four consecutive silvers in the long jump at the Paralympics mean he might be the greatest athlete in Games history never to have won gold.

At just 16 years old, Brighton Zeuner will be one of the youngest participants at Tokyo 2020 - but she’ll also be one of the favourites for gold at the Games when skateboarding makes its debut.She tells us how she balances being a normal teenager with the pressure of being an elite sports star, mixing fame with being a fan herself and being a role model to others who hope to follow her path.She also tells us how she deals with nerves when competing, and offers advice to those new to the sport on how to overcome the challenges of both the physical demands and social pressures.

Sizwe Ndlovu became the first black African to win an Olympic rowing gold, as part of the South Africa's lightweight coxless four in 2012. He describes that day as changing the rest of his life.Sizwe tells us about the challenges of growing up in a township, and how the end of apartheid and the sport of rowing helped him carve out a life he couldn't even have imagined possible as a child.A remarkable and inspirational story of achievement and perseverance, his victory became a symbol of hope for the post-apartheid South Africa.