Joe Choong on what it’s really like coming home after winning Olympic gold
After becoming Olympic champion at Tokyo 2020 in 2021, the post-Games period proved an education on life as a mini-celeb for British modern pentathlete Joe Choong, who was quickly keen to get back down to business.
'No one tells you what it’s like coming home!'
So posted Joe Choong, Olympic gold medallist in men's modern pentathlon on returning to the UK from Tokyo 2020 on 9 August 2021.
The Great British athlete, who is hoping to add a second world title to his medal cabinet at the home 2023 World Championships in Bath from 19 to 28 August, was referring to the immediate ramifications of his Olympic win.
All the messages of support that pinged rapidly onto his phone when he turned it back on after claiming the ultimate title in his sport, which comprises swimming, fencing, horse riding, and laser run.
The flight back in first class with fellow GB athletes, including competraiot Kate French who had won the women's competition, and track cycling superstars Laura Kenny, Team GB’s most successful female athlete, and her husband, Jason Kenny, the most successful British Olympian with seven titles. A visit to the flight deck, the celebratory reception at the airport, but best of all, " having time to spend with my family again".
But there were some rather more unexpected rewards for providing his nation with such feel-good vibes at what was a significantly more challenging time than previous Games due to the global pandemic.
Joe Choong, pentathlon's shooting star
"My dad is Malaysian, and we went to our favourite Chinese restaurant, and this woman and her daughter were sat at a table, and I just walked in and the woman sort of screamed, 'It's him', which was a surreal experience," the 28-year-old laughed, when talking to Olympics.com at the European Games in Krakow, Poland in June.
More surprises were to come.
By September, Choong found himself walking down the catwalk at London Fashion Week, rocking sustainably sourced clothes from recycled boat sail and Team GB kit, made by designers VIN + OMI.
"A bit different to the usual," said Choong before posting that he "absolutely loved it", alongside obligatory amusing modelling hashtag, #bluesteel.
Modern pentathlete Joe Choong models at London Fashion Week
Film premiere's followed, dressing up with modern pentathlete girlfriend, Olivia Green, for red (and blue) carpet events for James Bond movie, No Time to Die, and Marvel's Shang-Chi, and rubbing shoulders with the Queen at Ascot Racecourse.
Choong was in another world.
But the more down-to-earth opportunities were equally rewarding.
Heading back to his old school in south London to inspire the next generation, Choong "loved the opportunity to be the (difficult) interviewee for two of the new Mod Pent boys!".
Taking part in a BBC TV charity initiative, Children in Need, the Olympic champion competed in traditional school sport's day activities, including a sack race, tug of war, and egg-and-spoon race alongside fellow Olympic and Paralympic gold medallists, including para-athlete Hannah Cockroft, diver Matty Lee, and BMX racer Bethany Shriever.
The immediacy of the impact of his gold medal was felt in those first few months but would naturally dissipate before long. It was time to get serious again.
Back in the saddle
"Obviously, modern pentathlon isn't like the most well-known sports, so things have sort of gone back to normal, but it's a bit like peaks and troughs," Choong told Olympics.
"There are periods before a big event, like the European Games, where I'll have a lot more media interest but generally, my life's come back to normal."
Back to normal in real life and in competition.
At the aforementioned European Games, taking place in Krakow, Poland in June, Choong just fell short of adding the continental title to his Olympic and world golds, but secured a quota spot for GB for the men's event at Paris 2024, courtesy of his second-place finish.
“From the experience of my last two Games, qualifying the year before allows me to focus on which competition you want to participate in without the pressure of getting the points," he said.
With his girlfriend Olivia Green winning bronze, also securing a quota spot for Paris in the women's event for GB, it was a happy day all round.
"It was such a nice feeling because I was more nervous for her than I've been for myself."
Those nerves might become threefold in France if Joe's younger brother Henry also makes the cut for Paris 2024. The first to take up the sport, Henry then opted to focus on his education, attending Cambridge University, before turning his focus to the Paris Games.
“Whereas we used to be really competitive, I’ve obviously got a bit more experience, and it’s a bit more me trying to mentor him and help him get the thought process of what it takes to be fantastic at pentathlon,” he told Olympics.com.
“Between me and Liv it’s always a little bit of a competition,” a smiling Choong continued. “She’s always trying to outdo me a little bit.”
The competitive edge from such close quarters can only serve the British squad well, as the 2022 world team gold medallists aim for selection and then honours at the Palace of Versailles in August 2024.
- Click here to see the official qualification system for each sport.
- As National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games, athletes' participation at the Paris Games depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation at Paris 2024.