 Time to talk badminton now on the score here on Highland as we look ahead to the European championships which are taking place in Kiev in the Ukraine next week and the partying among the Irish party will be a number of Donegal players as we know from the town of Ruffo. One of those is Sam McGee, Sam you're welcome to Highland radio once again. Thank you very much. Thanks for having me. Sam of course you're one half of the mixed double duo along with your three-time Olympian sister Chloe. These Europeans next week, they're a big competition for you guys. Yeah they're crucial and they've got big Olympic points and I mean myself and Chloe are seated seventh so we really want to put on a big performance and it's really been our focus for the last three weeks so we put a lot of effort into it so let's go and see where our level is at now. Just before we talk about Europeans and the Olympics maybe you'll give us a summary of how the year, the strange year has been for you since you came back at the Danish Open and you did get a couple of good results along the way particularly at the All-English Championships so what's it been like over the last couple of months for you Sam? The first we were locked down, we didn't have any badminton in the first lockdown at all but we were lucky Sport Ireland could get us back on court and yeah we had a few tournaments there but it was very strange not being outside Ireland just you know training amongst yourselves. I think our farm's been pretty good you know we were just taking each tournament as it comes because you never know which ones are going to get cancelled and which ones will actually go ahead but overall we're very happy that we're allowed to train, we're very happy that Irish Sports Council has done everything they can to keep it safe for us. It's not ideal traveling these times and we don't feel that comfortable doing it but I think our situation compared to a lot of people out there we have it quite good. Do you feel lucky that you're allowed to play sport because there's a lot of sport not happening at the moment Sam? We feel so like it's such a privilege we feel you know it's a little bit spoiled because you can see a lot of sports even Gaelic and things because they can't go ahead and the big sports events can't so we feel very lucky we're in a bubble where we just are under training and we're going back and forward to training and we go to the Irish Institute of Sport for physio and weight so we're absolutely blessed and we have to be thankful for the Irish Sports Council and the Irish Government for giving us opportunity because it is hard watching other countries that the lockdown is different and they're just trained away as normal so we're lucky that we've got a level playing field in that regard. You include of course of medals at European, previous European championships and you of course have won at the European Junior Championship as well taken a gold medal but as for this next competition for you guys can you pull off a massive result as you said you're ranked seventh can you get another medal at European level Sam? Yeah I think we have to pull the rabbit out of the hat here I think European to the one tournament where me and Chloe have always played above our level so it's a good omen you know I think it's the one time where people would never say the Irish are going to get a medal and we've done it now twice and or three times we've done it so if any other tournament I would say you know it'll come down to factors but I think there's one week where we always strain good results together and I think Europeans is the one we could also we've got a tough draw we could also go out in the first round but I've got a good feeling that we're training well and playing well and of course you know that Europeans is just always makes a smile on your face when we're going there. Yeah you did of course play very well in that all English championship we beat the 11th ranked team in the world is that right so you know that you can take on some of the best parents around? Yeah that's what we have to use we played probably probably some of our best bams than ever in Birmingham and March so we have to use that form going in and that being said we'll need that form because if we get to the quarterfinal we'll end the English pair that are number 10 in the world so they're also a similar level and we need to play our best bams in the one but it's a good feeling knowing that we have it there it's at our fingertips and we know the level there we just have to get it out on the courts in Ukraine. It's all of course been targeted as well towards Olympic qualification and there's a lot of factors involved in qualifying for the Olympics but one thing you do know is you need a good performance at the European if you're to stay on track what is required then in the next number of months if you and Chloe are going to make Tokyo? Yeah there's there's so many factors so I can't say definite results but anything less than a quarterfinal Europeans would really you know derail our Olympic qualifying chance so every tournament now we need at least quarterfinals I think to stand a chance and then we have to just see how the other results go so there's so many factors we could be chatting here for a day what would happen but we know if to make it our own chance we really got to get quarterfinals in all these tournaments and then hope for more and that's all we can do is keep it in our own hands. Is that an achievable goal for you guys making quarters in the next four competitions if four competitions actually take place because the possibility of something cancelled too Sam? Yeah and then open just got postponed on Tuesday so postponed is I don't know what that means exactly it's just kind of keeping it on the calendar so yeah definitely we can definitely make quarterfinals in these four tournaments but that does require us playing our best band then and once we get into those positions we need to make them count not just settle for quarterfinals we need to push on but of course everyone else is in the same boat and they're pushing for the same points so it's up to us just perform on the day and it's easier said than done. What's your feeling on the Olympics? Will they go ahead Sam because there's a lot of conflicting reports the IOC say yes it's happening but apparently the entire country of Japan doesn't want it there so what's your and Chloe's feelings on the Olympics at the moment? Yeah it's hard to say the news that we're getting from the Irish Sports Council and the Irish Olympic Council is that it is ahead and prepare for that that it will happen but my own personal opinion is probably that you know it's not maybe the right time even though it sounds a bit contradictory that we're going around all these companies and trying to qualify for it and my heart I think it would make more sense to maybe postpone it if they could but I just I don't think it makes sense to have it but they seem adamant that it's going ahead and we just have to follow that guideline to be honest. Chloe of course has been there before she's one of Donegal's most decorated Olympians. You haven't been to the Olympics before Sam. How big a blow would that be to you personally if this didn't happen this year because obviously that's you can take your European junior medal and your European Championship bronze medals but if you're a sporting athlete the Olympics is the pinnacle for a lot and I'm sure that's with you would be a bit of a hammer blow to you if it didn't happen. I would be disappointed I'm not going to lie if I don't make an Olympics but when I look back on my career and some of the things I've achieved I'm really content with that if it does come that we don't make the Olympics I'm happy with the pit in Ireland on the map with these European medals doing things that it's never seen possible for Irish Bams maybe 10 years ago and I'm happy with my career. I'm going to give it everything to try and get to the Olympics but if it doesn't happen I don't think I'll be overly disappointed of course I'll be better about it for a while but I'll just have to get over it and accept that I've had a really good career and I've been very lucky and blessed my whole career. We're all hoping that that it works out for you and you do make the Olympics this year. Let's go back now to the Europeans obviously leaving on Thursday for the competition which starts next Tuesday. You and Chloe aren't the only siblings from Ruffo that's going to be involved. We've got Rachel Dara and Josh McGee in there as well. Yeah I think they've only recently come into these bigger tournaments and they're both starting to improve so they've been around myself and Chloe this whole training camp and I think they're starting to play well. It'll be a great experience for them. I don't think they'll be targeting medals but it's a good stepping stone for them to be in the years to come to be looking to get medals and they're going to be up against higher ranked better opposition so fantastic opportunity to go and see where their level is. Yep and can Ireland pull off medals including obviously yourself but is there other options there as well? Yeah I think they're as big as possible. This is myself and Chloe in the mix and also Nat in the men's singles will have a long shot of a medal. It's not easy to get these medals at European Championships. The big countries want to come and dominate like Denmark and England and France and they put a lot of money into bands and a lot of resources so to get a medal it's a long shot but me and Chloe have shown anything can happen when you kind of get these run of results during a week you know you kind of build momentum during the week of a European Championship so we're hoping for one of those special weeks again. Yeah hopefully so listen Sam and thanks for talking to us on a safe trip to the Ukraine and I wish you and Chloe and the rest of Tim Arland the very best of luck. Thank you very much Josh and thanks for having me.