Adepitan, who switched from wheelchair basketball to wheelchair tennis in 2007, was announced as the face of Channel 4's coverage for the Games earlier this year despite the fact he was still playing sport at the top level.

As well as leading their Paralympics coverage in 2012, Adepitan has already joined Rick Edwards in presenting a weekly magazine programme – That Paralympic Show – and was also involved in discussions around the highly successful 90-minute feature documentary called Inside Incredible Athletes.

The 37-year-old had continually maintained there was a possibility he would compete in London 2012 as an athlete, although he was an outside bet to qualify for London 2012 in wheelchair tennis having failed to hit the heights he did in wheelchair basketball.

Adepitan was a key member of Britain's wheelchair basketball team that claimed bronze at the Athens 2004 Paralympics.

However, he has now admitted defeat in his quest to double up in 2012 and said that after much deliberation, it would be completely impractical for him to take on the two roles simultaneously.

Adepitan told insideworldparasport: "It has been a tough decision but the more I have thought about it, the more I realised it is just impossible to compete at a high standard as well as present on television.

"You are completely on edge when you compete so to do that and then go across and present on live television straight away, it's just too much.

"It definitely does not mean that I'm retiring from the sport and I intend to keep competing in wheelchair tennis well after 2012, it just means that I won't be trying to qualify or compete at the London 2012 Paralympics.


"It is a bit of a shame because it will be such a fantastic event to compete in but I talked it over with my coach and he made me realise that although it is a huge event, it is in fact only one event.

"There are still all the majors that I hope to take part in and other big championships so I don't feel I will be missing out too much in that respect.

"I won't deny that I would love to have competed but I would have been a nervous wreck trying to do both, so in the end the decision really made itself.

"Some of the things Channel 4 is doing to try and change the perceptions of disability sport are amazing and it is very exciting to be a part of that.

"I feel I have a big role to play in 2012 even though I'm not competing as I will be involved in so much of the presenting and that is very exciting.

"The fact that Channel 4 will be the sole broadcasters to cover the Games means that their coverage will not be something that is simply a follow on from the Olympics - it will be all about us and all about the Paralympics.

"I definitely feel honoured to be part of that and to be making history in this project."

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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