Tokyo Olympics: Six-strong triathlon team announced

The Australian triathlon team has been announced after the country managed to qualify the most athletes of any nation for the Tokyo Olympic event.

A six-strong team of triathletes has been announced for Tokyo, as they gear-up for a gold medal win at the Olympic Games.

Australia’s triathlon team was announced on Friday morning, made up of Rio Olympians Ashleigh Gentle and Aaron Royle, and Olympic debutants Jake Birtwhistle, Matt Hauser, Jaz Hedgeland and Emma Jeffcoat.

On top of their individual races, the athletes will contest the mixed triathlon relay in the event’s Olympic debut, an event Australia has had great international success in.

Australian Olympic triathletes Ash Gentle, Matt Hauser, Emma Jeffcoat and Jaz Hedgeland. Picture: Triathlon Australia

In every mixed relay world championships they’ve contested in since 2015, Australia has won a gold, three silver and a bronze medal. The team is on the quest for another gold in Tokyo, being the only nation to fill the six athlete quota.

Under the mixed relay format, four athletes- two men and two women- will have to swim for 300m, cycle for 8km and run for 2km before tapping the hand of their teammate to pass the relay.

Gentle, who finished 26th in her individual event in Rio and picked up gold in the mixed relay at both the 2017 world championships and the 2018 Commonwealth Games, said having back-up athletes for the four-person relay would be a game changer.

“It’s really amazing that we got three women and three men,” she told News Corp.

“It’s really good for the mixed relay given the fact you’ve got a third person in the village and can change your team up to two hours before the event.

“We’ve got some great athletes and we can pull together a really great team and not have to stress about it.”

Gentle said she believed the Australian team was “well-balanced” and was looking forward to working with her teammates.

“It’s a really great group and we get on really well, there’s a good mix of experience and a good mix of up-and-coming talent so I think we all come together to form a wel- balanced group.”

\Jake Birtwhistle. Picture: Warren Lynam / Sunshine Coast Daily

Aaron Royle. Picture: Warren Lynam / Sunshine Coast Daily

Sydney’s Olympic rookie Jeffcoat, who transitioned from Surf Lifesaving to triathlon in 2015, said she was “so proud” to be heading to Tokyo with the team.

“When I look down at my Olympic team polo and those Olympic rings you just cant wipe the smile off my face – I’m absolutely over the moon, I’m just so humbled and so proud. Knowing how much hard work it takes to get here, it literally gives me goose bumps.

“It’s a dream and it’s a dream come true and I don’t think it will ever get old. I’ll never lose the smile when I remember I’m going to be an Olympian.”

Royle, who finished ninth in Rio in 2016, and Birtwhistle, the only male to win two World Triathlon Series races in 2019, will be hoping to break the Australian triathlon male medal drought, with women being the only medal winners since the sport was introduced to the Olympics in 2000.

The mixed teams relay on July 31 is Australia’s best chance of a medal in Tokyo.

The men’s 1.5km swim, 40km cycle and 10km run race is on July 26 and the women’s event is the next day.