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For many young athletes, competing in an Olympics or Paralympics for their country is their biggest ambition.

Being chosen to appear at the biggest sporting event in the world is an incredible honour – and ����ý Bitesize has followed five young sports stars in their selection journeys for a new documentary, Class of Tokyo 2020.

As well as hearing from the hopefuls, three-time Olympian Beth Tweddle reflects on what it was like to be called up for Team GB for the Games.

Beth was the first-ever British female gymnast to win an individual apparatus medal at an Olympic Games, taking bronze in the uneven bars in London 2012.

While that podium place capped off an incredible career, Beth says her first-ever selection eight years prior was just as important.

“My first experience of being on Team GB was the 2004 Olympic Games,” she said.

“It was just a dream come true to get that selection letter and to finally know that all of that hard work had paid off. It was such a proud moment to be able to pull on that Team GB tracksuit.”

The Tokyo Games come a year later than originally planned as a result of the global pandemic – and Covid-19 means that there will be virtually no British spectators at any of the events.

But Beth still thinks it will be incredibly special for those selected.

“This Games will be very different, it’s going to be a one-off Games, but you are still getting to go to the Olympics. You’ll still be able to call yourself an Olympian.

“No one can ever take away from you the fact that you are able to say ‘I represented Team GB at an Olympic Games.’ There is a very small percentage of people across the whole world that can say ‘I am an Olympian’ and it is such a proud moment to be able to represent your country.”

See Beth and our five Olympic hopefuls in Class of Tokyo 2020 – available on ����ý iPlayer from Wednesday 21 July.