Tokyo Olympics: Triathlon has back up team ready to race in case of Covid

Triathlon Australia has an extraordinary backup plan in case of a worst-case scenario at the Tokyo Olympics to ensure athletes remain on track for a historic medal.

Ashleigh Gentle was one of the first triathletes selected onto the Olympic team.

A spare team of triathletes will be kept in hotel rooms away from official members of the Olympic team to cover all bases in the case of injury, illness or a positive Covid test in Tokyo.

Australia is going all out for a medal in the mixed relay event making its debut at the Tokyo Games and officials are leaving no stone unturned in their quest for a historic gold.

Ash Gently competing in a mixed triathlon relay, the event Australia has the best chance of winning a medal in at the Tokyo Olympics.

Triathlon Australia President Miles Stewart, who competed for Australia when the multi-endurance sport made its debut on the Games program at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, has revealed the extra athletes will be taken to Tokyo as backup for the official team of three men and three women.

While the make up of the team is still to be determined – as is the “spares” contingent – it is expected some of them at least will be rising stars – future “heirs” to the titles of Australia’s best triathletes.

Jake Birtwhistle is a medal chance in the men’s race.

“We have to take a spare team to sit in a hotel room in Japan as spares,” Stewart said

“If anyone is in a bus with an athlete with Covid they are out. We would have a scenario where our whole team couldn’t race.

Stewart said these four athletes will have to train in their room on wind trainers and a treadmill to keep them in peak conditions.

It is hoped they will be allowed out of the room for pool sessions but this is yet to be confirmed.

“We will keep them completely separate. We will have two males and two females in a hotel room and they wont be allowed out,’’ Stewart said.

“We may get them to the pool, we hope so.’’

The likes of northern beaches gun Emma Jeffcoat, Newcastle’s Aaron Royle and Campbelltown’s Natalie Van Coevorden are in contention for the team from NSW.

Australia has won a medal at every Olympics since Sydney 2000 except in Rio in 2016.

However, all medals – including Emma Snowsill’s gold in 2008 – have been won by women.

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

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

Jake Birtwhistle from Tasmania and Ash Gentle from the Gold Coast, were the first athlete to qualify to race in Tokyo.