British Triathlon teams ready for Test Event

Published:

On the eve of the Tokyo 2020 Test Event, British Triathlon’s top athletes will be looking to learn as much as they can from the event before the Olympic and Paralympic Games next year.

The athletes have spent the past ten days putting the final touches into their preparation at their training camp in Miyazaki.

Miyazaki, which is located in south west Japan, has offered the British Triathlon teams access to excellent training facilities alongside acclimatising to the heat and humidity. 

Double Olympic medallist Jonny Brownlee, who will be competing in his third Olympic Test Event, believes his preparations for this event have gone to plan.

“The Tokyo 2020 Test Event is my main aim for the year and preparations have gone really well,” Brownlee said. “My training has gone really well the last few months and during our training camp in Miyazaki, I’ve trained well in the hot conditions.

“I’ve had some hard sessions over here and I’m looking forward to competing in Tokyo. Trying out the course and the conditions will hopefully help for next year and I hope to have a good race.”

Georgia Taylor-Brown, who has won two individual medals at World Series events in 2019, will be experiencing her first Olympic Test Event and wants to learn as much as she can ahead of next year.

“I’m excited to arrive in Tokyo and to see the course,” Taylor-Brown said. “We’ve had a good block of training in Miyazaki and I can’t wait to get onto the start line.

“I’ve really enjoyed our holding camp in Miyazaki and it’s allowed us to train in any way we’ve needed to in a great environment.

“I’d love to do well in the Test Event but I’m going to focus on my own race and not get distracted by the occasion.”

Paralympian, Dave Ellis, is aiming to return to Paralympic level competition after his classification wasn’t included in Rio 2016.

“Training in Miyazaki has gone well,” Ellis said. “The camp allowed me to acclimatise to the heat ahead of the event in Tokyo.

“For the Test Event, I would like to learn as much as I can about the course and get used to racing in the heat; and it’s going to be good to race with Tim again. If I secure qualification for next year’s Games it would mean so much. I have been trying to compete at another Games since 2008 so it would be amazing to get back there. I’ve always wanted to go back since Beijing but it’s not worked out. I’d love to be on that start line next year.”

Paralympic bronze medallist Melissa Reid believes Miyazaki has provided the right foundation for the upcoming competition she will face in Tokyo and is hopeful of securing the next step of qualification for the Paralympic Games.

“The camp has been amazing,” Reid said. “The hotel was fantastic for training with very little travel. I’m now really looking forward to the Test Event. Back in Rio it gave us a good opportunity to become familiar with everything, so doing the same for Tokyo was one of the key parts of my training this season

“Competing at the Paralympics in Tokyo will mean everything to me. It holds a lot of challenges which makes it more interesting and gives you an even better feel good factor at the end.”

The British Triathlon teams consist of:

Name Based
Tom Bishop Leeds
Jonathan Brownlee Leeds
Sophie Coldwell Loughborough
Vicky Holland Bath
Jess Learmonth Leeds
Non Stanford Swansea
Georgia Taylor-Brown Leeds
Alex Yee Leeds
Name Based Category
Fran Brown London PTS2
Claire Cashmore Loughborough PTS5
Stephen Crowley Exeter PTS4
Dave Ellis Loughborough PTVI
Tim Don Loughborough Guide (Dave Ellis)
Jade Jones-Hall Leeds PTWC
Hannah Moore Loughborough PTS4
George Peasgood Loughborough PTS5
Melissa Reid Exeter PTVI
Elle Twentyman Loughborough Guide (Melissa Reid)
Lauren Steadman Portsmouth PTS5
Joe Townsend Bournemouth PTWC

 

 

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