Great Britain’s golden generation of triathletes will get their Olympic homecoming at this weekend’s World Triathlon Championship Series in Leeds.
They thrived in the pressure-cooker of Tokyo, returning with two individual silver medals and a mixed relay gold that stands as many people’s abiding memory of the Games.
The roars that should have greeted that moment will echo around the paths of Roundhay Park as Alex Yee, Georgia Taylor-Brown and Jonny Brownlee return, having won Olympic gold with Jess Learmonth.
Fittingly, Leeds will stage a mixed relay for the first time in its history.
It’s a chance for Britain to stamp their authority on a new format, which has seen the racing order change to have men on the first leg and women on the anchor leg.
Taylor-Brown said: “It was amazing how mixed relay caught people’s imagination and it will be interesting to see what teams will do to change their approach.
“The dynamic will now change it a little because some of the teams who maybe didn’t have a stronger second female triathlete will stay in the race longer.
“It also means that it will be one of the girls bringing it home which is exciting. It’s obviously more responsibility but that is what everyone dreams of, racing the anchor leg and bringing it home.”
Taylor-Brown, 28, is at the absolute top of her game.
She kicked off her post-Olympic season with victory at WTCS Yokohama, ahead of rival Flora Duffy, who beat her to Olympic gold in Tokyo.
“I really didn’t expect to win at all,” said the self-effacing Mancunian.
“I struggled a bit for motivation coming into the season so went into that first race trying not to put too much pressure on myself and just trying to enjoy it.”
Joining her on the start list for the women’s race is Sophie Coldwell, Olympic alternate, who has earned the second England selection berth at the Commonwealth Games.
At November’s WTCS Final in Abu Dhabi, seven of the top 12 finishers were British, and the seventh was Iron distance world champion Lucy Charles-Barclay.
“The strength in depth now is ludicrous, it’s unreal,” said Vicky Holland, who appeared at her third Olympics in Tokyo.
“There’s a feeling of excellence in the women’s team and also inclusivity to those coming in.
“People want to be in the team, they aspire to come in and when they do they see that we’re friendly, we have a good time and encourage each other too.
”It takes something special to beat Alex Yee, who returns to the scene of a breakout victory that paved the way to Olympic silver.
The 24-year-old, who only competed in his first full race in 2018, claimed his first victory on the sport’s top-level circuit last summer, providing a launchpad for Olympic success.
“Leeds was probably one of my proudest moments of last year,” said Yee.
“To win the race and perform the way I did was an extremely proud moment for me. It set up a great year for me and made me believe in myself a little bit.
“I've learned a lot in the short time I've been at the top level of the sport, I'd like to think that I'm in a position now where I can be competing towards the front of a race.”
The Brownlee epoch is far from over, with Jonny pursuing a fourth Team GB appearance in Paris.
The 32-year-old memorably ‘completed’ the Olympics with Tokyo relay gold having won individual silver and bronze at the previous two.
Reneging on his promises to step back from Olympic distance racing, Brownlee is now in pursuit of the perfect triathlon.
“It can happen again and I wouldn’t continue to race Olympic distance if I didn’t think it was possible,” said Brownlee.
“I need to make sure I don’t overtrain and go into races with a perfect mind and a perfect body. I’ve raced the last few years with niggles and things.“
"The conditions, the atmospheric conditions also need to come together to have that perfect race. I believe I can do it and I would obviously be absolutely delighted if it happened in Paris.”
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