Jonnie Peacock: London 2012 star not ready to finish Paralympic journey yet

Jonnie Peacock insists he has no post-Paris retirement plans as he eyes up a thrilling hat-trick of Paralympic gold medals.

The Cambridge sprint star, 31, catapulted himself onto the big stage with an unforgettable 100m T44 title at London 2012 before defending that crown in Rio four years later.

Bronze at a Covid-affected Tokyo 2020 followed but, with the first Games on European soil since that London summer just around the corner, Peacock is hungry for more.

Four Paralympics may be plenty for many athletes but after bursting onto the scene as a fresh-faced 19-year-old in the capital, Peacock has Los Angeles 2028 in his sights.

“This is likely to be one of my best ever years, which means it would be a bit silly to stop now,” said Peacock.

“My plan is definitely to go to LA and for Paris to not be my last one. I have no plans of retiring!

“People forget that I was only 19 at London 2012. I’m 31 now which I get is getting up there, but for a sprinter, we’re seeing people only just reach the big stage at that age.

“Hopefully I’ve still got a couple of years left. I’m really happy with how training’s going so far and I’m in a really good place for Paris.

“Being a previous Paralympic champion, you don’t really want second place, so winning is obviously the target.”

Peacock, who also scooped mixed 4×100m relay silver in Tokyo, will feature in the documentary Path to Paris: Paralympic Dreams, which airs on 25 August and is a joint project by Channel 4 and British Athletics, supported by the National Lottery.

The documentary follows the fortunes of track and field athletes in their preparations for Paris 2024, giving viewers a unique insight into the journey an athlete takes, and the sacrifices they make to be able to compete for Paralympic gold.

Peacock knows he would not be where he is today without the impact of lottery support and is relishing the prospect of being involved in the programme ahead of another Paralympics in Paris.

“The National Lottery literally fund pretty much everything I do,” he added.

“If you want to look at your National Lottery ticket as a charity, you can – because they literally give back to so many causes.

“They put a lot of money back into the world but also make a few millionaires too.

“The money is always going somewhere to help some people, even if it’s local town hall or community centre being built.

“It allows not only me to do sport but local kids around the corner to go to a field and kick a ball around.”

National Lottery players have transformed athletics in the UK, with more than £300m invested since funding began, supporting both grassroots sport and elite athletes. A new documentary – Path to Paris: Paralympic Dreams airing on Sunday 25 August at 4:55pm on Channel 4 – follows five British athletes as they prepare for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games and offers a unique insight into how National Lottery players support them on their journey.