LAUNCESTON triathlete Jake Birtwhistle was yesterday named in Triathlon Australia’s 22-member squad for the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.
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The 2018 squad of 11 men and 11 women represents the future of Australia’s emerging triathlon talents and is led by four members of Australia’s 2014 Commonwealth Games team from Glasgow: Ryan Bailie (Western Australia), Aaron Royle (NSW), Olympian Emma Jackson (Queensland) and Ashleigh Gentle (Queensland).
The Glasgow foursome will be joined by 18 emerging youngsters, including medallists from last year’s ITU World Championships in Birtwhistle (Tasmania), Calvin Quirk (Queensland) and Gillian Backhouse (Queensland), and Youth Olympic Games gold medallist Brittany Dutton (Queensland), as the next generation of Australian triathletes continue their progression into the elite ranks.
The news came as the 20-year-old Birtwhistle prepares to make his ITU World Triathlon Series debut in Auckland tomorrow.
Birtwhistle has been in impressive form this season, recently winning the Oceania and Australian Elite and Under 23 Olympic Distance Championships in Devonport and finishing a close-up second to experienced Frenchman David Hauss in the ITU Mooloolaba World Cup.
Twelve months ago in Auckland, Royle, Bailie and Wilson staged an exciting final 10-kilometre charge to the finish to place third, fourth and fifth respectively to kick-start what was a successful 2014, leading to selection in the Australian team for Glasgow.
This year, the Australian men will aim to put some serious runs on the board as selection for next year’s 2016 Rio Olympics hots up over a course that most resembles Rio. Points and places will become crucial throughout the WTS, which heads to the Gold Coast on April 11-12, as they try and secure Australia’s Olympic quota spots.
Triathlon Australia’s national performance director Bernard Savage knows the racing is going to be tough over the hilly Auckland course. ‘‘All three boys raced well here last year. They know what to expect and they will all be up for the challenge,’’ he said. ‘‘Jacob Birtwhistle has certainly earned his stripes and deservedly gets the chance to contest his first WTS race.’’
The men’s field is impressive and will feature a four-strong Spanish armada led by four-time ITU World Champion and Olympic silver medallist Javier Gomez and WTS winner in Abu Dhabi, Mario Mola, plus 2012 ITU World champion and Olympic bronze medallist Jonathan Brownlee and Portugal’s powerhouse Joao Silva.
