Birtwhistle flies the flag for Tasmania in Commonwealth Games triathlon victory
UPDATED: “It was amazing out there,” Tasmanian powerhouse Jake Birtwhistle says after winning gold medal in the triathlon mixed team relay at the Commonwealth Games.
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TASMANIAN powerhouse Jacob Birtwhistle has helped Australia win the gold medal in the triathlon mixed team relay at the Commonwealth Games.
The team of Birtwhistle, Gillian Backhouse, Matt Hauser and Ashleigh Gentle came home in one hour, 17 minutes, 36 seconds, beating England in second with New Zealand taking bronze.
Gentle, Australia’s third competitor on the course, proved the difference, turning a 15-second deficit out of the water into a 39-second lead for Birtwhistle to take home to the finish.
It caps a stellar few days for Launceston boy Birtwhistle, 23, who won a silver medal in the men’s individual triathlon on the opening day of the Games.
“That was amazing out there,” Birtwhistle said. “Being the last leg you never really know what to expect. It can go good or bad for you but thankfully with Gillian, Matt and Ash they did an amazing job and exactly what we had to do.
“Thankfully I was the first one to be rewarded because I knew I was in control and had another gear there if I needed it but I didn’t. To cross the line in the gold medal position is amazing.
“It’s pretty nerve-racking watching the others. We’re all in it together but there’s nothing I can do while I’m sitting in the athletes’ lounge waiting. You just have to trust them. We all know we’re out there for the same reason and that’s to win. And everyone did what they had to.”
Birtwhistle said he felt the pressure while waiting to be tagged. “As soon as I saw Ash coming down on that last run I could see there was a pretty solid gap and from there I just made the decision to just stay in control.”
MORE: THE 15 TASMANIANS AT THE GAMES
The former under-23 world champion, who narrowly missed selection to the Rio Olympic Games, can reflect on a stunning maiden Commonwealth Games.
He’s now looking forward to cheering on his fellow Tasmanians on the Gold Coast, beginning with long-time cross-country adversary Stewart McSweyn, who will contest the 5000m on Sunday and 10,000m on Friday.
“My first Games and what a way to start it. It’s a great feeling,” he said. “It’s really nice to be racing on day one and day three, get everything out of the way and be able to relax a bit and enjoy the whole Games.
“I’ll definitely be out there trying to watch a bit. I’ve got my tickets to watch Stewy tomorrow and can’t wait for that. I started racing against Stewy when I was probably 10-years-old and we’ve been really close since then and it’s great to see him going really well. I’ve spoken to him and he sounds like he’s in really good nick at the moment.”
Meanwhile, the Australian women’s four bowls team featuring Tasmania’s Rebecca Van Asch qualified for the knockout stages of its tournament, maintaining its unbeaten record with a 14-3 defeat of Malaysia. Semi-finals start on Sunday at 9am.
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