Taekwondo champ has been eyeing gold since age of 10

If you haven't yet heard of Caden Cunningham, there's a good chance you will have by the end of these Olympics.

- LAWRENCE OSTLERE

Cunningham is square-jawed with sunken brown eyes under a fuzz of hair; wide shoulders and a pristine posture, standing 6ftplenty. He's a part-time model - GQ magazine recently dubbed him “an Olympic prince (and a menswear king)” – a full-time Taekwondo champion, and he loves the stage.

Cunningham is only 21 but has already won a string of medals and became the European heavyweight champion in May. He arrives in Paris this week as a serious contender for gold, armed with a self-assurance that practically kicks you in the face. “Regardless of whether I win or lose [in Paris],” he says, “I’m confident I could go for the next four years and really pick up speed in Taekwondo and conquer this heavyweight division. I am starting to do it now.”

As a child growing up in Huddersfield, Cunningham always wanted to be a sports star, not as a fanciful dream but as an unwavering career goal. He first tried Taekwondo at six years old, inspired by his dad who competed in martial arts, and aged 10, while doing press-ups and planks at home each evening, they mapped out his Olympic debut.