Beth Potter is on a mission to surround herself with the best of the best ahead of Paris 2024 - and training with Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee might just be the trick.
The steely Scot, 32, secured her spot at a second Olympic Games following a golden 2023 which saw her crowned world triathlon champion for the first time.
Potter competed at Rio 2016 as a 10,000m runner, but turned to triathlon a year later, training alongside the all-conquering Brownlee brothers who first inspired her to take up the sport.
“When Jonny collapsed and Alistair carried him across the line, I thought, ‘I want to do that sport,’” said Potter, referencing a surreal finish to a World Triathlon Series event in Mexico in late 2016.
“It was such a moment of sportsmanship and brotherly love, and I wanted to go and train with them and thought about how I could get there.”
The seed was already planted by that stage. Just six days after she finished 34th in the 10,000m event, Potter felt an awakening while watching the Brownlee’s light up Brazil.
“I watched them in Rio while sat drinking out of a coconut on the Copacabana,” the Glaswegian recalled.
“I then met two of the coaches in McDonald’s and spoke about the opportunity of going up to Leeds which is where it sparked.
“I always thought about it and I think some people wanted me to do it earlier than I did, but I wanted to see how good I could get on the track first.
“I train a lot with the brothers and I’ve always said if you surround yourself with those kinds of people, then you will achieve really good things.
“They turn up whatever the weather and get the job done. If you have that in training it feeds into consistency in races and I feel like that was starting to shine through in my performances last year.”
Double Olympic champion Alex Yee joined Potter in booking a place at this summer's Games, and both are strongly backed for medal success.
Potter put the finishing touches to a glittering year in September 2023 when she claimed the final World Triathlon Championship Series event of the season, a victory which has fuelled her belief that she can repeat the trick in the French capital.
“I believe I am one of the favourites now,” she added.
“Ironically, winning the world title has taken the pressure off a little bit. I know I’m good enough to do it. Going into next year, I feel a bit more relaxed about it.
“My psychologist said to me going into Pontevedra: ‘You’re there now.’
“There’s a whole list of other problems that come with being number one. Being at the top is great, but staying there is harder.”
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