# Rio Olympic triathlon *spoilers*



## Tin Pot (18 Aug 2016)

just saw the Brownlees checking their bikes out - get to the start line boys!

Shame Gomez couldn't make it but Mario Mola is always a threat.


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## Tin Pot (18 Aug 2016)

And they're off!

Mass start on the beach with Alistair doing a little butterly to get going.

Mola at he opposite end of he beach.


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## Nibor (18 Aug 2016)

thanks for the heads up


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## Tin Pot (18 Aug 2016)

Alistair 6th in the swim with Varga leading powerfully.


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## Tin Pot (18 Aug 2016)

On to he bikes!

FRA lost a shoe.

Benson 51secs behind, he needs to catch up to help the Brownlees.


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## smutchin (18 Aug 2016)

Is it likely to all come back together in the bike leg? Jonny seems to be doing his bit to ensure the pace is kept high at the front.


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## Nibor (18 Aug 2016)

I didn't think Triathletes were allowed to draft


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## Tin Pot (18 Aug 2016)

Nibor said:


> I didn't think Triathletes were allowed to draft


They are in Olympic distance (it's actually down to the organising body)


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## Nibor (18 Aug 2016)

It would be hard not to on this course it is like a Crit


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## fimm (18 Aug 2016)

Nibor said:


> I didn't think Triathletes were allowed to draft


Amateurs are not (usually) allowed to draft in UK races. Elite short-distance triathlon (Sprint or Standard) is (usually) draft-legal.

However.
There have recently been some draft-legal amateur races in the UK on closed roads with short circuits. I don't know how they went.
We have recently gained a club member from Italy in our triathlon club. He tells us that all short-distance triathlons are draft legal in Italy. My O/H once raced a draft-legal triathlon on Mallorca.
I also know of at least one non-drafting elite Standard race in the USA.


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## Tin Pot (18 Aug 2016)

Benson down

Yorke off the bike

Brownlees still doing well

Mola not catching


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## Dayvo (18 Aug 2016)

From the leading group, who are the best runners?


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## Spiderweb (18 Aug 2016)

The Brownlees look to be the only cyclists not wearing shades?
Don't their eyes water?
What if they get a bug or some dirt in their eyes?
I cannot ride without some sort of eye protection, seems risky to me.


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## Tin Pot (18 Aug 2016)

Dayvo said:


> From the leading group, who are the best runners?



The Brownlees and they're already off with France. Don't think Luis will keep up. This could be a perfect race...


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## Tin Pot (18 Aug 2016)

Spiderweb said:


> The Brownlees look to be the only cyclists not wearing shades?
> Don't their eyes water?
> What if they get a bug or some dirt in their eyes?
> I cannot ride without some sort of eye protection, seems risky to me.



These are Triathletes, not prissy cyclists!

:P


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## smutchin (18 Aug 2016)

Dayvo said:


> From the leading group, who are the best runners?



On the evidence so far, I'd say the Brownlees. 

ETA: I went to Hyde Park to watch the 2012 race and it was incredible the way Alastair especially opened the gap by a noticeable margin on every lap.


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## smutchin (18 Aug 2016)

Van Riel is pretty quick too... but not as quick as the Brownlees!

Schoeman is having a great race.


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## Tin Pot (18 Aug 2016)

I can't believe the pace they run at.

Please, please pace yourselves!


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## brommers (18 Aug 2016)

looking good for gold and silver


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## Nibor (18 Aug 2016)

At the 2012 Olympics their 10k time would have placed them better than last in the 10k track final they are phenomenal


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## Tin Pot (18 Aug 2016)

Amazing performance.


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## Dayvo (18 Aug 2016)

smutchin said:


> ... and it was incredible the way Alastair especially opened the gap by a noticeable margin on every lap.



And he's just shown his brother a clean pair of heels. 

Impressive


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## Stephenite (18 Aug 2016)

The unbeatable Brownlee brothers


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## Dayvo (18 Aug 2016)

Double Olympic champion. 

'Sir' Alistair Brownlee?


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## Tin Pot (18 Aug 2016)

Wow, a touch of emotion there. So pleased for them.


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## Spiderweb (18 Aug 2016)

Yorkshire grit ....Outstanding


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## Stephenite (18 Aug 2016)

They're a bit quicker in transition than I am! Six minutes I took to get out of my wetsuit and on with the cycling shoes last week. 

Other than that they are much quicker at swimming, biking and running.


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## Spiderweb (18 Aug 2016)

Dayvo said:


> Double Olympic champion.
> 
> 'Sir' Alistair Brownlee?


How unfair would that be to knight one and not the other.


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## Dayvo (18 Aug 2016)

Spiderweb said:


> How unfair would that be to knight one and not the other.



But one has two gold medals, the other doesn't (one bronze and one silver): good but not an Olympic champion (yet).


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## smutchin (18 Aug 2016)

That was a phenomenal performance, total domination. Fantastic.


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## Tommy2 (18 Aug 2016)

I haven't watched it yet, I will always wonder what the outcome would have been if Gomez had been there though.


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## fimm (19 Aug 2016)

Stephenite said:


> They're a bit quicker in transition than I am! Six minutes I took to get out of my wetsuit and on with the cycling shoes last week.
> 
> Other than that they are much quicker at swimming, biking and running.


As one of the coaches at my club is forever saying, you'll never be as fast at swimming, cycling and running as the pros, but you can (if you practice) be as fast as them in transition....

Well done the Brownlees. I really didn't know how they would go, given all the injury troubles they've had.
Now for the women's race. Can anyone beat Gwen Jorgensen? (I don't think so, but I think the Britons have a good chance of at least one medal.)


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## Richard A Thackeray (19 Aug 2016)

One of my running club members will be very pleased indeed

He was their PE Tutor at Bradford Grammar School, where they attended


I want to see the 'splits', as it was stated during the commentary that it was circa "30 minute pace" (for the 10K run)


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## Tin Pot (19 Aug 2016)

It was an outrageous 10k pace.

Girls up next tomorrow at 15:00.

Gwen is in the middle for the beach start, Team GB fairly close together on stage right. Hoping they can build a faster group and get a little headway on Gwen!

Come on.


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## smutchin (19 Aug 2016)

Richard A Thackeray said:


> I want to see the 'splits', as it was stated during the commentary that it was circa "30 minute pace" (for the 10K run)



https://www.rio2016.com/en/triathlon-men

Just over 31 minutes for the run for Alistair, but he eased off at the end so Johnny could cross the line just behind him, which must have cost him about 30 seconds.


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## Richard A Thackeray (20 Aug 2016)

smutchin said:


> https://www.rio2016.com/en/triathlon-men
> 
> Just over 31 minutes for the run for Alistair, but he eased off at the end so Johnny could cross the line just behind him, which must have cost him about 30 seconds.


Thankyou

Phenomenal, given the effort, heat, humidity


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## Richard A Thackeray (20 Aug 2016)

Richard A Thackeray said:


> One of my running club members will be very pleased indeed
> 
> He was their PE Tutor at Bradford Grammar School, where they attended



http://www.bradfordgrammar.com/bgs-expresses-pride-brownlee-brothers-triathlon-gold-silver/


(6th paragraph)
https://www.sportscoachuk.org/news/minichiello-named-uk-coach-year


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## Tin Pot (20 Aug 2016)

Good luck to he ladies, going to miss this and try and catch up tonight


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## fimm (20 Aug 2016)

Well, I was right, but that was a much more exciting run than I would have predicted, and I certainly wouldn't have predicted Nicola Spirig for silver....


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## Tin Pot (20 Aug 2016)

Wow just caught up. Really disappointed Stanford and Holland wouldn't join spirit on a break from Jorgensen, maybe they just couldn't but it was the only way to victory after they all came out together on the swim.

What a finish though?

Sad to watch Team GB race each other for bronze, I'm sure they can handle it but it was the worst scenario after living and training together.

Spirig could have won it if someone had joined her on the bike, and for a while it looked like she might break Gwen...not to be!

Great race though.


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## Tommy2 (21 Aug 2016)

I caught the last half of the run, Gwen and Nicola playing games was bizarre, not something I've seen before in triathlon especially not on the run, has anyone seen any interviews about what they were saying to each other?

It was a shame when Gwen decided to put her foot down and spirig just couldn't match it, but I suppose it's better to go steady for silver than try to chase for gold and blow up, but you could see Gwen was really working hard.

I think that was the same thinking for Stanford and Holland, don't think they could have guaranteed keeping up with Gwen.


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## Tin Pot (21 Aug 2016)

Tommy2 said:


> I caught the last half of the run, Gwen and Nicola playing games was bizarre, not something I've seen before in triathlon especially not on the run, has anyone seen any interviews about what they were saying to each other?
> 
> It was a shame when Gwen decided to put her foot down and spirig just couldn't match it, but I suppose it's better to go steady for silver than try to chase for gold and blow up, but you could see Gwen was really working hard.
> 
> I think that was the same thinking for Stanford and Holland, don't think they could have guaranteed keeping up with Gwen.



Indeed Gwen put in her fastest run split to close it out.


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## fimm (22 Aug 2016)

I think Spirig was going back to Stanford and Holland and they might have caught her on their more even pace - but they didn't. 
I think Vicky said that the first thing she said to Non was "I'm so sorry....". Non seemed able to be happy for Vicky immediately post-race, fairly philosophical; I think she'll feel she has another chance in 4 years.


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