With only 365 days left until the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Team GB is spreading Olympic fever across the United Kingdom as the countdown starts in earnest to the next Games.

Team GB’s ‘(Only) One Year to Go’ campaign launched as Olympians Greg Rutherford and Beth Tweddle delighted commuters on the tram from Manchester Piccadilly to Media City, handing out Team GB papers filled with inspiring messages of unity and national pride, highlighting recent research confirming Team GB as still being the UK’s most loved sports team.

In a week that Team GB confirmed that it is on the cusp of securing more women than men in the British Olympic team for the first time ever, with a projected team size of 378, there was much to be excited about with preparations for Tokyo 2020 well on track.

The people in the main piazza at Media City were treated to an awe-inspiring Team GB highlights showreel taking people back to those iconic moments at London 2012 and Rio 2016. Fans were even able to stop at a special Team GB café to grab a free coffee and properly soak up those golden British Olympic moments.

Tokyo 2020 will welcome five new sports to the Games – baseball (men)/softball (women), karate, skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing – and British skateboarder Alex Decunha was able to showcase what his sport will bring next summer, whilst Shauna Coxsey revealed the intricacies of sport climbing. In addition, BMX rider Charlotte Worthington took part in this unique showcase and fans even got the chance to try the discipline for themselves.

Not to be outdone, shoppers at Westfield London received Team GB newspapers with a rallying cry of ‘(Only) One Year to Go’ until Tokyo 2020 and sites across the country saw messages of unity and pride displayed across prominent locations in major British cities courtesy of Team GB partner, Ocean Outdoor.

After an incredible summer of sport, Team GB is hoping to continue the excitement by starting the countdown to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and once again highlighting why Team GB is the team that makes the UK most proud and unites and inspires the nation*.

In an exciting few weeks for Team GB, it was confirmed a women’s football team will compete in Tokyo while both men’s and women’s rugby sevens teams qualified for 2020. In Gwangju, South Korea some impressive performances from Britain’s divers, including Jack Laugher and Tom Daley among others, ensured seven spots for Team GB too. Swimming takes centre stage this week, most notably with Adam Peaty already breaking the 57 second barrier on the way to world 100m breaststroke gold, more quota places are likely to be secured. In total, Team GB has achieved 86** quota places across archery, diving, equestrian, football, modern pentathlon, rugby sevens, sailing, shooting and swimming.

Speaking about his memories of Team GB and what it meant to represent his country, Greg Rutherford remembered with warmth what it meant to have the nation behind him: “Having competed at London 2012, feeling the surge of support from the entire nation in the lead-up to the Games is so special and inspiring. I’m thrilled to be helping Team GB spread Olympic fever and get the nation behind the athletes once more as we head towards Tokyo 2020.”

Team GB Chairman Sir Hugh Robertson, added: “At both London 2012 and Rio 2016 I saw first-hand the inspirational impact Britain’s athletes had on the country. Olympic sport is something at which we are genuinely world class and Team GB want to use Tokyo 2020 to bring the country together and make it proud of its athletes once again.”

With qualification spots being secured by the day, Team GB’s Chef de Mission for Tokyo 2020, Mark England, was in confident mood one year out: “One year to go always brings the Games into focus but the hard work from athletes and sports has been going for some time. With over 85 quota places confirmed and a target team size of around 380, it is something that will undoubtedly excite and inspire the nation. Tokyo 2020 will be an incredible Games and Team GB will once again take an extremely talented and diverse group of individuals, which the country should rightly feel proud of.”

Team GB’s campaign to bring the nation together in excitement, unity and pride ahead of Tokyo 2020 will run through the next year with further activations as teams and athletes get announced and the Games draw ever closer.

Courtesy of Team GB