The delayed Olympic Games officially kick off today, with a wealth of sporting talent from Oxfordshire representing Team GB in Japan.

The Tokyo 2020 Games will see sporting stars from across the county compete against some of the best in the world for the chance of taking home gold.

With local athletes from Oxford, Bicester and Kingston Bagpuize, as well as several rowers from Leader Club in Henley-on-Thames, the county has plenty of athletes to support.

Who is competing in the Games?  

Kieran Bird – Bicester

The Bicester swimmer will make his Olympic debut in the 400m freestyle on Saturday morning, followed by the 800m freestyle on Tuesday.

The 21-year-old said: “I think we can achieve big things, looking at how everyone is doing in training.

“All of us have quite high aspirations.”

He added: “It’s not just in the pool but outside it too, everyone is really motivated when it comes to diet, psychology, all the little one per cents that make the difference.

“I’m looking for big things from all of us and it should be good to see.”

Tom Squires - Kingston Bagpuize

The 27-year-old first got on his first windsurfer on a family holiday in Cornwall which his father brought for him. The rest was history.

When describing the Games he said: “The level of windsurfing is just incredible, there’s so many shapes and sizes of guys and each have different specialities.”

He added the athletes who will be successful are ‘the people who can bridge the gap who put a really solid week together’.

He said: “I’m better than I’ve ever been in lighter winds and I’m definitely in the mix.

“I’m not just going there to compete, I’m going to aim for a medal.

“It’s open to anyone, so I’m pushing hard.”

Sholto Carnegie – Oxford

The rower learned the sport at City of Oxford Rowing Club aged just 13, before going on to make his Team GB debut as a junior in 2013.

He went on to win U23 World Championships silver as part of the men’s eight and men’s four.

Fiona Gammond – Bicester

The rower from Bicester rowed at Headington School as a youth and was selected for the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore aged 17.

Gammond has won medals in junior and senior world championships.

Gammond is in a social bubble with her and described how ‘The energy’s really building’.

She said: “I’m absolutely loving it.”

The Leader Club in Henley-on-Thames also boasts a number of rowers who use the site as their base that will be competing in the Games.

These include:

Victoria Thornley

John Collins

Rowan McKellar

Karen Bennett

Matthew Rossiter

Hannah Scott

Harry Leask

Angus Groom

Thomas Barras

Jack Beaumont

Rebecca Edwards

Chloe Brew 

Katherine Douglas

Emily Ford

Jacob Dawson

Thomas George

Charles Elwes

Oliver Wynne-Griffith

Thomas Ford