Ahead of this weekend\u2019s ITU World Triathlon Series race in Leeds, the city has been decorated with images of Alistair and Jonny Brownlee, Non Stanford and Vicky Holland. You can\u2019t walk around a corner without seeing a giant Brownlee billboard; tri has already taken over the city. So the setting was apt for the official announcement of the six-strong British team for the Rio Olympic Games in August.<\/p>\n
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Given we already know the women\u2019s team of this issue\u2019s cover stars Non Stanford and Vicky Holland, plus Helen Jenkins in her third Olympic Games, the big news of the day was who will join the Brownlees in the British men\u2019s team.<\/p>\n
The B\u2019s of Adam Bowden, Tom Bishop, Mark Buckingham and Gordon Benson were just a quartet of athletes vying for what\u2019s likely to be a domestique\/supporting slot, and it was announced here today that the Leeds-based Gordon Benson would take the honour as the Brownlee\u2019s wingman come the 18th of August on the Brazilian starting pontoon. Thus making it a Yorkshire 1, 2 and 3 for the Brit men\u2019s team.<\/p>\n
\u201cI told my mum the news and i think she cried,\u201d said Benson. \u201cThere was an opportunity there for a support athlete in the squad but I didn\u2019t want to waste two seasons and not qualify for the role, so I\u2019ve raced as I normally would. Support athletes were a massive influence for me in my races, like at the European Games at Baku. Now I\u2019ve focussed more of my training on the swim and bike disciplines, and it\u2019s paid off. I\u2019m still only 22 and have only just finished my uni degree in nutrition, which has actually been a nice distraction from tri.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0WHO IS GORDON BENSON?<\/p>\n
The 22-year-old Benson was voted the British Triathlon Male Elite Junior Triathlete of the Year in both 2011 and 2012. Benson won the 2015 European Games in Baku and has scored plenty of European Cup and Championship success as a junior.<\/p>\n
The domestique role was filled by Brit veteran Stuart Hayes at the London Games in 2012, who successfully dictated the pace on the bike to provide a platform for Alistair\u2019s gold and Jonny\u2019s bronze-winning performances. Benson cites running as his strongest discipline, but the 6ft 3in tall Yorkshireman has obviously done enough in his ITU races (including at Yokohama this year) to suggest to the selectors that he\u2019s got enough speed on the swim and bike to keep pace with the leading pack in Rio.<\/p>\n
Speaking at today\u2019s launch, Mark England, the Chef de Mission of Team GB\u2019s Rio charge, said that the 350 athletes Britain is taking to South America is \u201cthe most talented team we\u2019ve ever taken away,\u201d and this certainly applies to the Brit tri squad, which \u2013 from the experience of Jenkins to the rising force of Vicky Holland, a fit Non Stanford and, of course, the Brownlees \u2013 has five feasible medal contenders in its ranks.<\/p>\n
What the athletes said:<\/strong><\/p>\n Jonny: \u201cThere was huge pressure ahead of London, we countdown clocks telling you there were 81 days to go and things like that. So Rio won\u2019t have that element and we\u2019re ready for it. The hilly and technical bike course suits our skills more than the flat and fast London route.<\/p>\n Alistair: No one has raced to the level of London 2012 since then, but I can see the same three on the podium. Seeing myself on the posters and billboards around Leeds is a bit embarrassing, I\u2019m not a huge fan of seeing myself up there and I\u2019m getting plenty of abuse from my mates!\u00a0<\/p>\n We didn\u2019t have any input on Gordon\u2019s inclusion as such but we\u2019re really happy for him on a personal and professional level. He\u2019s a Leeds United fan so will have plenty to talk about with Jonny. He\u2019s someone we\u2019ve trained with for 10 years and he\u2019s a Leeds lad, and he\u2019s worked really hard for it. We push each other on in training. And he proved how much he\u2019s progressed by coming out of the swim high up at WTS Yokohama. I see a similar role for him as Stu Hayes played in London.\u201d<\/p>\n Vicky: \u201cIt\u2019s good to be formally announced at last. It was great to qualify with Non at the same time, as it would\u2019ve been tough for one of us to have been celebrating the achievement and the other knowing they\u2019ve still got to qualify. We could then relax and have the same build-up together. It\u2019s turning into a Leeds takeover, which is testament to the set-up they have here.<\/p>\n Non: Today makes it all a bit more real. I\u2019ve never been to an Olympics before and this brings it home. It\u2019s exciting and special to be a part of a golden year for British triathlon. The British team send medal contenders and the objective is to win medals.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Non Stanford on Rio, training, and maintaining motivation\u2026<\/p>\n \u00a0Helen: \u201cI\u2019m the odd one out with five out of six Leeds-based athletes in the squad! Sometimes I struggle to understand Gordon when I\u2019m tired but it\u2019s all good fun. And it\u2019s a testament to how strong the set-up is here, and the facilities have developed around the Brownlees.<\/p>\n \u201cYet I\u2019ve always been based in Wales and that\u2019s what I know and what works for me. I\u2019m not racing this weekend and I really wanted to, but I need some downtime. I peaked in April, so I can\u2019t maintain that until August. I\u2019ll race Stockholm next with Non and Vicky, it\u2019s so exciting to be part of such a strong team and it almost takes the pressure off a bit.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Related:<\/strong><\/p>\n Routes announced for World Triathlon Leeds
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\nNon Stanford and Vicky Holland podium at Rio Olympics test event<\/p>\n<\/section>\n