LYG Alumni Star in Tokyo As Team GB Equal London 2012 Medal Haul

21 former participants were flying the flag for the London Youth Games in Tokyo as Team GB equalled their London 2012 medal haul. Finishing fourth behind USA, China and Japan, Team GB secured an impressive 22 gold medals, 21 silvers and 22 bronzes.

London Youth Games has a long and proud history of helping to develop future Olympic stars and this year was no different as LYG alumni including Alex Yee, Joseph Choong, Kye Whyte, Ethan Hayter, Dina Asher-Smith, Daryll Neita and Asha Philip secured medals.

Alex Yee, who represented Lewisham in Aquathlon, Cycling and Cross Country at the London Youth Games between 2010 to 2014, starred for Team GB in Tokyo, winning two medals on his Olympic debut. The 23-year-old won Silver in the Men’s Triathlon and Gold in the Triathlon Mixed Relay.

Joseph Choong claimed Gold in the Men’s Modern Pentathlon. The 26-year-old fenced, swam, rode, shot and ran his way to glory becoming the first British man to win an individual medal in the sport since its introduction to the Olympics in 1912. Joseph previously represented both Bromley, his home borough, and Croydon, where he went to school, at the London Youth Games in Swimming and Triathlon.

Another LYG history maker was Kye Whyte who became the first British man to win a medal in BMX as the ‘Prince of Peckham’ pedalled his way to a Silver medal in his first Olympic Games. Kye previously represented Southwark at London Youth Games in 2014, 2015 and 2016.

Ethan Hayter, who competed for Wandsworth at the London Youth Games in 2014, claimed second place in the Men’s Madison Relay Race with team-mate Matt Walls to earn Team GB another valuable Silver and add to his impressive medal tally having previously won Gold at World and European Championships.

The Women’s 4 x 100m Bronze winning relay team featured three former LYG participants. Dina Asher-Smith, who represented Bromley, Daryll Neita, who competed for Lewisham, and Asha Philip, a former participant from Waltham Forest. They were joined by fellow Londoner Imani-Lara Lansiquot. Having set a new national record to qualify, the ladies finished third in the Women’s 4 x 100m final.

Other notable mentions go to Daryll Neita, who became just the second ever British woman to reach a 100m Olympic final, Laviai Nielsen and Ama Pipi, who reached the 4 x 400m Women’s Relay final, and Katie Snowden, who ran two of her fastest times of the year to reach semi-finals of 1500m.

Also divers Eden Cheng, who reached the final of the 10m Synchro with partner Lois Toulson, 16-year-old Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix, who finished seventh in the 10m Platform, and Katherine Torrance, who finished sixth in the 3m Springboard Synchro with partner Grace Reid.

Plus returning Olympians Tin-Tin Ho, Zoe Smith and Ashley McKenzie, and Rugby players Celia Quansah and Emma Uren, who narrowly missed out on a medal, losing to Fiji in the Bronze medal match.

Special recognition also goes to Alex Scott and Jeanette Kwakye. Two former LYG participants, who having retired from their respective sports have gone on to forge successful careers in the media. Alex and Jeanette both did fantastic jobs as part of the BBC broadcast team.

Find out more about the LYG alumni competing in Tokyo here.