As we move inside 50 days to go until the start of the London 2012 Olympics, the British Olympic Association (BOA) has announced today the six triathletes officially selected to represent Team GB at the Games.
Team GB will have a full complement of three male and three female triathletes in Hyde Park this summer, where the women’s and men’s competitions will take place on 4th and 7th August respectively.
The triathletes selected to Team GB today are:
Great Britain has made outstanding progress in the sport of triathlon since the last Olympics in Beijing in 2008, and Team GB will be looking to record their first ever Olympic triathlon medals at London 2012.
Current world champion Alistair Brownlee won the men’s dress rehearsal event in Hyde Park, which was one of six major victories in 2011, including the World Championship Grand Final in Beijing. He will look to build on the 12th place he achieved at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, a race which he was leading with just 3km to go.
Alistair will be competing alongside his younger brother, Jonathan, who will be taking part in his first Olympic Games and finished 2011 as the world number two. He has shown great form so far this season by winning the most recent two ITU World Triathlon Series events in San Diego and Madrid. The Brownlee brothers are joined in the men’s race by Stuart Hayes, a former winner of a World Championship Series round in Kitzbuhel and long term member of the British team.
The women’s trio is led by current world number one Helen Jenkins, who will be competing in her second Olympic Games. Helen’s victory in the ITU World Championship Series last September made her the first British woman to win the world title since it changed to a series format in 2009. Jenkins is a two-time World Champion, having previously won in 2008 under her maiden name of Tucker. She was also victorious at the test event in Hyde Park last August, completing a British double act with Alistair Brownlee.
Joining Jenkins in the women’s race is Vicky Holland and 20 year old Lucy Hall, who both make their Olympic debuts. Holland has been a consistent performer in the ITU World Triathlon Series this year, and Hall has made a name for herself as one of best swimmers and most promising young athletes in the sport.
The athletes will be able to draw inspiration from the huge support they will receive at Hyde Park, with much of the course open and un-ticketed during the two races as spectators enjoy the most memorable free-to-view event of London 2012.
The addition of the six triathletes brings the total number of athletes officially selected to compete for Team GB at London 2012 to 190 across sixteen sport disciplines: archery, athletics – marathon, badminton, boxing, canoe slalom, fencing, hockey, modern pentathlon, rowing, sailing, shooting, swimming, synchronised swimming, table tennis, taekwondo and triathlon.
The athletes were formally nominated to the BOA for selection to Team GB by British Triathlon, the National Governing Body for triathlon in the UK.
Team GB Chef de Mission Andy Hunt said:
Team GB Triathlon Head Coach Malcolm Brown said:
Athlete Alistair Brownlee said:
Athlete Helen Jenkins said:
Athlete Jonathan Brownlee said:
Athlete Lucy Hall said:
Athlete Vicky Holland said:
Athlete Stuart Hayes said: