ROLL ON TOKYO
IN great signs for next year’s Tokyo Olympic Games, Tasmanian Jake Birtwhistle (right) has outsprinted an Olympic medallist to win his second Noosa Triathlon crown in the Queensland resort town. Birtwhistle shrugged off South Africann Henri Schoeman in the finafinal 500m yesterday. .
JAKE Birtwhistle believes his second victory at the Noosa Triathlon yesterday is the ideal confidence boost in the longrange build-up to the Tokyo Olympics.
The 24-year-old Tasmanian will be Australia’s best hope of an individual medal in the men’s race in Tokyo, given his selection is a virtual formality after setting up residence inside the ITU’s top-five world rankings.
He will also form an integral part of the mixed relay event — almost certainly alongside Noosa Triathlon women’s winner Ashleigh Gentle — where Australia is a legitimate contender for a medal.
Birtwhistle yesterday flipped t he result f rom t he 2018 Commonwealth Games where he won silver and South African Henri Schoeman won gold.
After the swim leg was shortened because of dangerous surf conditions, Birtwhistle and Schoeman spent the majority of the 10km run shoulder-to-shoulder.
The Australian kicked away in the final kilometre along Noosa Parade to leave the Rio Olympic bronze medallist in his dust and add to his 2017 title at the world’s biggest triathlon.
Three- time winner and defending champion Aaron Royle f i nished third, 39 seconds behind Birtwhistle after getting tangled up with a motorbike carrying a TV cameraman early in the run leg.
“Noosa is a huge event globally and, for us Aussies especially, it means a lot with the history that it has. It’s great to be back here and get on top of the podium again,’’ Birtwhistle said.
“I just had to play the waiting game, I was pretty confident I’d be able to have him [Schoeman] covered at the back end of the run.’’
Birtwhistle raced in the Tokyo test event earlier this year when competitors were greeted by stifling heat and humidity but would relish the chance to return in 2020 when Olympic medals are up for grabs. [I’m] ready to give it a good crack … ready to go,’’ he said. “It [Noosa] is a bit of a confidence booster.”
Schoeman was beaming after South Africa’s win in the Rugby World Cup final over England, but said Birtwhistle was just too strong in the closing stages of the run.