British wheelchair racer Hannah Cockroft says she is “getting faster and stronger” and no has plans to retire after the Paris Paralympics.
Cockroft is preparing for her fourth Paralympics looking to add to her haul of seven gold medals.
The 32-year-old says there “is not a single thought” that Paris could be her last Games and already has one eye on Los Angeles 2028.
“Obviously the question always comes: is this going to be your last one?” she said.
I’m 32 and that’s kind of the age we see a lot of women dropping out of our sport.
“I feel like I’m going to have a lot of decisions to make next cycle but I’d like to make it to LA. I’d like to see how many more Games are in me.
“I’m still getting quicker, I’m still getting stronger, everything’s still going in the right direction, so there’s no reason for me to step out now.
“There’s not a single thought in my head that this could be the last – unless something goes terribly wrong.”
Cockroft prepared the Games by winning the 14th and 15th world titles of her career at the World Para Athletics Championships in May.
She is also just four Paralympic gold medals short of the 11 won by Britain’s most successful wheelchair racer, Baroness Grey-Thompson.
The Yorkshire-born athlete says that impressive record means there will be pressure on her to deliver once more in Paris.
“I 100% think I’m the one to beat, in the least big-headed way,” said Cockroft.
“I am number one in the world, I have retained that title since 2018. And it’s scary; I am so hyper aware of the fact the target’s on my back.
“But that’s what keeps me going. I’m never satisfied, I’m never happy with any race that’s not a fast time.
“I’m always asking questions and I think the minute you stop and are satisfied with the performance you’ve laid down it’s probably the day I’m going to have to retire.”
The Paralympics start with the opening ceremony on Wednesday, with the first medals to be decided the following day and action continuing until the closing ceremony on Sunday, 8 September.
