Ellie Robinson: Swimmer did not expect interview reaction

Ellie Robinson retired from swimming after the Tokyo Paralympics

British Paralympian swimmer Ellie Robinson said she did not expect her powerful post-race interview to "reach the number of people that it did".

The 20-year-old from Northampton won gold in Rio in 2016, but announced her retirement after her fifth-place finish at Tokyo this summer.

After the women's S6 butterfly final she said dealing with arthritis had been a "story of triumph, not defeat".

She said it had been "nice to hear people react" positively to her words.

Speaking again to BBC Radio Northampton, Robinson said: "I didn't expect it to reach the number of people that it did.

"I'm very happy, just so people could hear my advice and my story because I know I'm not the only one whose suffered this year."

Her post-race interview received praise from Gary Lineker, Boris Becker, Gabby Logan and Dawn French.

But she said it was "people who had really similar stories to myself, those everyday people, who hit home to me".

She said she had "absolutely not" been back in a swimming pool since this year's Paralympics.

"I think I will go back to swimming eventually, It'll be fun to give it a go and just to think of all the happy memories, but I would love to do other sports as well," she said.

'It's past my bedtime'

Robinson was diagnosed with Perthes disease in her right hip in 2012 - a condition affecting the hip joint in children - and revealed how arthritis in the joint left her unable to swim between November 2020 and the World Para Swimming European Open Championships in May.

She won three bronze medals and a silver in the 2016 European championships before going on to win the gold in the S6 butterfly in Rio and a bronze in the S6 100m freestyle, aged 15.

In Tokyo, she missed out on a bronze by a quarter of a second in the final, which took place on her 20th birthday.

Robinson was recognised in the 2017 New Years Honours List, receiving an MBE for services to swimming

Since retirement she has made several media appearances, including Channel 4's The Last Leg, where she was asked her to interview Daniel Craig about the latest James Bond film.

"It was so nice, he was so accommodating and at put me at ease, and he was a really genuine guy," she said.

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Robinson said the team on the show, including presenters Adam Hills, Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker were "such a good bunch".

"The first time I went on The Last Leg I was 15 and it thought it was really late, it was ten to eleven, I was thinking 'it's past my bedtime', but now I'm free, I can do what I like, I don't have morning training," she said.

Robinson said she would "love to continue doing media", but is also studying for degree in history and politics at the Open University.

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