Neil Adams

That was my first Olympic Games. So my preparation was a little bit different to how it was the 84 and the 88 Olympic Games. And I'd kind of done part of the preparation as well for 76 Olympic Games. I wasn't quite old enough for those, but I was first reserve. So in 1980, I'd had four years build up.

That was my first Olympic Games. So my preparation was a little bit different to how it was the 84 and the 88 Olympic Games. And I'd kind of done part of the preparation as well for 76 Olympic Games. I wasn't quite old enough for those, but I was first reserve. So in 1980, I'd had four years build up.

That was my first Olympic Games. So my preparation was a little bit different to how it was the 84 and the 88 Olympic Games. And I'd kind of done part of the preparation as well for 76 Olympic Games. I wasn't quite old enough for those, but I was first reserve. So in 1980, I'd had four years build up.

And I was hungry and I was one of these young athletes and I see them so often now that was developing and, you know, full of, I won't say full of myself, but I was certainly confident of my ability and I wanted to conquer the world. And I'd had a couple of really tight matches with the current Olympic world champion.

And I was hungry and I was one of these young athletes and I see them so often now that was developing and, you know, full of, I won't say full of myself, but I was certainly confident of my ability and I wanted to conquer the world. And I'd had a couple of really tight matches with the current Olympic world champion.

And I was hungry and I was one of these young athletes and I see them so often now that was developing and, you know, full of, I won't say full of myself, but I was certainly confident of my ability and I wanted to conquer the world. And I'd had a couple of really tight matches with the current Olympic world champion.

So I knew that there was a possibility that I could get there for the 80 Olympics. So building up to the 80 Olympics was quite interesting because I was kind of coming through the weights and I was halfway in between the 71 kilos weight category and the higher weight category of 78 kilograms.

So I knew that there was a possibility that I could get there for the 80 Olympics. So building up to the 80 Olympics was quite interesting because I was kind of coming through the weights and I was halfway in between the 71 kilos weight category and the higher weight category of 78 kilograms.

So I knew that there was a possibility that I could get there for the 80 Olympics. So building up to the 80 Olympics was quite interesting because I was kind of coming through the weights and I was halfway in between the 71 kilos weight category and the higher weight category of 78 kilograms.

And I got third place at the 79 World Championships, the weight below, for the whole year at the higher weight category. Didn't lose a contest. So I'd beaten everybody in the world. And then I had to make a decision as to whether to drop weight. to the weight below because I was seeded in the weight below. It was a different seeding then.

And I got third place at the 79 World Championships, the weight below, for the whole year at the higher weight category. Didn't lose a contest. So I'd beaten everybody in the world. And then I had to make a decision as to whether to drop weight. to the weight below because I was seeded in the weight below. It was a different seeding then.

And I got third place at the 79 World Championships, the weight below, for the whole year at the higher weight category. Didn't lose a contest. So I'd beaten everybody in the world. And then I had to make a decision as to whether to drop weight. to the weight below because I was seeded in the weight below. It was a different seeding then.

And so I decided to drop into the weight below because I was seeded in the top four. And as it happens, I think it was probably the worst decision I made. Well, because, simply because, I mean, it was the only contest that I lost was the final of the Olympic Games in that year.

And so I decided to drop into the weight below because I was seeded in the top four. And as it happens, I think it was probably the worst decision I made. Well, because, simply because, I mean, it was the only contest that I lost was the final of the Olympic Games in that year.

And so I decided to drop into the weight below because I was seeded in the top four. And as it happens, I think it was probably the worst decision I made. Well, because, simply because, I mean, it was the only contest that I lost was the final of the Olympic Games in that year.

I've got to say that it was the hardest because as I was going up, I was, you know, it was 73, then it was 74 kilos, 75. So I was moving through the weight category. It wasn't like I was stuck in the middle and then I dropped the odd time to compete. It was literally going up in weight by a kilo every month. And then by the time I came to a month or two before the Olympics, it was really hard.

I've got to say that it was the hardest because as I was going up, I was, you know, it was 73, then it was 74 kilos, 75. So I was moving through the weight category. It wasn't like I was stuck in the middle and then I dropped the odd time to compete. It was literally going up in weight by a kilo every month. And then by the time I came to a month or two before the Olympics, it was really hard.

I've got to say that it was the hardest because as I was going up, I was, you know, it was 73, then it was 74 kilos, 75. So I was moving through the weight category. It wasn't like I was stuck in the middle and then I dropped the odd time to compete. It was literally going up in weight by a kilo every month. And then by the time I came to a month or two before the Olympics, it was really hard.

Fought the European Championships at the higher weight category and won that. And so everybody that was on the Olympic rostrum at the Olympic Games was on my rostrum at the European Championships. So... Was it a mistake? Yeah, because I didn't have my diet sorted out. My nutrition was appalling. And when I, you know, it wasn't as kind of readily available as it is now for the nutrition.

Fought the European Championships at the higher weight category and won that. And so everybody that was on the Olympic rostrum at the Olympic Games was on my rostrum at the European Championships. So... Was it a mistake? Yeah, because I didn't have my diet sorted out. My nutrition was appalling. And when I, you know, it wasn't as kind of readily available as it is now for the nutrition.