The five-strong Team GB Triathlon team have arrived in Tokyo ahead of action kicking off on Monday 26 July [Sunday 25 July UK time] with the men’s race at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
For Team GB Triathlon Team Leader Mike Cavendish, the holding camp in Miyazaki was the perfect way for the team to finalise their preparations ahead of racing at the greatest show on Earth.
“We arrived in Miyazaki on 12 July so we’ve had ten days to work through our final race preparations,” Cavendish said. “We’ve been really happy with how it has gone. The athletes have managed to train consistently while acclimatising to the time difference and humidity.
“The training opportunities the athletes have had access to, thanks to the authorities in Miyazaki, have been brilliant. The athletes have had fantastic open water swimming sessions and hot and humid run sessions which have all added to the athletes getting used to the conditions they will need to race in here in Tokyo.
The team, which includes Olympic medallists Jonny Brownlee and Vicky Holland and debutants Georgia Taylor-Brown, Jess Learmonth, and Alex Yee, will begin with the individual races before taking to the start line for the inaugural Olympic mixed team relay.
“Team GB gave us a fantastic welcome into the city, and we have had glimpses of the venue which looks fantastic,” Cavendish said. “We arrived in Tokyo to temperatures in excess of 30c and high humidity levels which gives us a strong idea of what the athletes will face when they race in just a few days’ time.
Above: Hear from Cavendish from before the team flew out.
“The athletes are in great shape and are ready to race and while we know that the triathlon is a very unpredictable sport, we couldn’t have asked for our preparations to have been much better.”
The mixed team relay has become a staple in racing on the international triathlon circuit and Great Britain have consistently enjoyed success with medals at World Series events.
“I think we’re all really excited to see the athletes in action in the relay,” Cavendish added. “It’s been a great event that has brought out some of the best racing in athletes. We saw that at the Test Event in 2019 where we had a sprint finish between Alex Yee and Dorian Coninx [France]. It’s a fun format that athletes really enjoy and it’s a welcome addition to the Olympic programme.
“The key for us is to ensure that our athletes rest and recover well in between the individual and relay races. Our selections will be made a day or so in advance of the race, once we’ve had a chance to see how the athletes recover from the individual events. I think it will be a fitting climax to the Olympic Games here in Tokyo.”
