Triathlete Jake Birtwhistle looks to French connection after sub-par Tokyo Games
Tasmanian triathlete Jake Birtwhistle is “kicking himself all the way to Paris” after running on empty at Tokyo Olympic Games. LATEST >>
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TASMANIAN triathlete Jake Birtwhistle left nothing in the tank as he fought oppressive heat and a major faux pas by Olympic officials in the triathlon at the Tokyo Games on Monday.
The 26-year-old has already set his sights on Paris in three years after finishing 16th in his Olympic debut.
The Launceston triathlete, the only man to win two World Cup events in the lead-up to Tokyo, could not believe his eyes at the start.
An official’s boat blocked half of the field on the starting line as the gun fired to start the most important race since the Rio Olympic Games in 2016.
“I could see the boat in the corner of my eye and thought this was pretty strange. They say the Olympics is a bit of a circus of a race compared to normal,” Birtwhistle said.
“It’s a swim, bike and run, but everything else around it is what adds the noise and that’s a first for me.”
Birtwhistle was among the front-runners out of the water and despite being dropped in the early stages of the bike, hit the final transition in the lead bunch.
It was not his day on the run leg.
He finished 1m28s behind Norwegian Kristian Blummenfelt’s winning time of 1h45m4s with Brit Alex Yee claiming silver and Hayden Wilde, of New Zealand, bronze.
“It was all looking good. I just didn’t quite have the legs on the run. I’m disappointed but I fought until the end with what I had and that was the best I could do,” Birtwhistle said.
“You always feel pretty rubbish starting the run in a triathlon but I felt strong on the bike and stayed in pretty good positions. I did everything right up until that point but didn’t quite have the legs when it mattered.
“It’s going to be three years of kicking myself until the Paris Games.
Atkinson makes stunning Olympic Games debut
TASMANIAN soccer star Nathaniel Atkinson’s stellar run hit a new level in Tokyo on Thursday with his stunning Olympic Games debut in the Olyroos’ upset 2-0 win over world power Argentina.
After scoring a goal and being voted best afield in Melbourne City’s A-League grand final triumph and becoming the first Tasmanian to play on Australia’s biggest domestic soccer stage, Atkinson added Olympic soccer player to his resume in style.
Atkinson is the second Tasmanian to compete at an Olympic Games in soccer, after Hobart-born former Marconi defender Dominic Longo was in the 1992 team in Barcelona.
The 22-year-old Melbourne-based player from Launceston, Atkinson was electric at full-back and was free to use his speed down the right wing for the Olyroos.
Goals from Atkinson’s past and present Melbourne City teammates Lachy Wales, after 14 minutes, and Marco Tilio, 10 minutes from the end, proved the difference at the Sapporo Dome with Mitch Duke providing both assists and also hitting the woodwork twice in the second half.
Olympic commentator Andy Harper heaped praise on Atkinson.
“Nathaniel Atkinson had a brilliant end of the season,” Harper said.
“We all thought his Olympics were dead and buried a year ago through suspension and then this year through a terrible hamstring injury and then he finished the A-League so strongly with the Joe Marston Medal on grand final day and now finds himself representing his country.
“He’s been outstanding, superb, probably Australia’s best on balance. An eye-watering performance down the right-hand side.”
The result put Australia on top of Group C, which was widely labelled the “Group of Death’ ahead of the tournament, but one that Australian coach Graham Arnold dubbed it the “Group of Dreams” for the Olyroos.
Argentina is the reigning South American champion at both the under-23 and senior level, while Spain is the under-23 European champion, and Egypt the under-23 African champion.
The Olyroos face Spain at 8.30pm at Sapporo Dome on Sunday, before its final group-stage match against Egypt at the Miyagi Stadium on Wednesday.
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