Olympic rowing champion and three-time silver medalist Katherine Grainger’s dream to become Britain’s most decorated female Olympian is on, after she gained a late slot in the team for Rio on Sunday.
The 40-year-old – who will compete in the double sculls with Vicky Thornley who is over a decade her junior – said she hadn’t returned from a sabbatical solely so she could compete at a fifth Games.
“I didn’t take time out, then come back, to go to a fifth Olympics and just get a T-shirt,” she told the BBC.
“Vicky and myself both want a medal and we haven’t lowered our sights.”
Grainger, who ended her run of Olympic near-misses in grand style at London in 2012 by winning the double with Anna Watkins, and Thornley have had a tortuous route to selection having missed out when the original list of 43 names were unveiled earlier this month.
They failed to secure places in the eight, for which they made a late bid for inclusion having not medalled at this year’s European Championships in the double – although last year when they were first paired together they took bronze.
“It’s not been the smoothest or most direct route but it’s a relief that we’re there,” said Grainger, who is also a six-time world champion.
“There have been days when I couldn’t necessarily see a way forward and times when I couldn’t see the path but I never stopped believing I could get there.
“The double was never written off.
“We weren’t happy with where we were competitively and there was still time to explore if there was a better option,” added the Scotswoman.
Grainger, who gained a law degree in the time she was on sabbatical after winning Olympic gold, says that there is a lot to work on in the coming 50 days after they finished only fifth in the World Cup event last weekend.
“There’s not a lot of time left and there’s nothing like Rio getting closer to sharpen the minds,” Grainger said.
“There’s a freshness and excitement because we can now concentrate on getting in the boat and trying to make it go faster.”
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So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?
Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
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Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
