Tasmanian triathlete Jake Birtwhistle ready for Commonwealth Games return

But the Tasmanian triathlete believes his Gold Coast success can still be trumped in Birmingham.

"The goal is to go one better and I'm excited with the opportunity to do that," he said.

"I guess I have big shoes to fill to live up to that but I'm doing everything I can to make it happen."

Speaking to The Examiner from the UK on the day he was confirmed as the eighth Tasmanian on the Australian team, Birtwhistle revealed he has a hectic schedule leading into the Games.

Fresh from being the highest-placed Australian (21st) then leading his country to sixth in the mixed relay at the World Triathlon Championship Series races in Leeds, the 27-year-old said he is delighted how his preparation is coming together.

"It's good to feel things are going well. I feel I'm getting back to where I was in 2018. Things are starting to click again. This is the strongest and fittest I've been, probably ever. I'm seeing improvement in training even if the results in Leeds probably don't show that. Apart from a little mistake in the swim, things went well.

"It's a long time since I finished a race when I felt my swim, my ride and my run all went well.

"My body feels good and I've had a really consistent training block since early this year. I'm able to tolerate a bit more training and have upped the volume a bit.

"It's good to see I can push that bit more and I hope to soon see the benefits of that."

Birtwhistle said one misjudgement in the swim prevented a better Leeds result.

"I got caught around the outside of a buoy, got stuck a bit and dropped from about 15th to about 45th and once that happens it's near impossible to get back up there. I'll be more aware next time.

"So it's bitter-sweet because I feel things are going really well but I don't have the results to show for it yet. But it's good to know it's not far away and I'm keeping the dream alive that big performances are coming and I just need to get things right on race day and avoid mistakes that can be costly."

While in the UK, Birtwhistle and his Aussie teammates will scout the Birmingham triathlon course before he heads to Spain to resume training.

He will then tackle the next two WTCS races in Montreal (June 24) and Hamburg (July 9) before heading for Birmingham where he is scheduled to compete in the individual (July 29) and team relay (July 31) events.

"I've seen the course on digital images but have never raced there before so it's all new and while we're here it makes sense to head down and check it out in person before we go there."

Birtwhistle joins fellow Tasmanians Jake Templeton and Ariarne Titmus (swimming), Erica Burleigh and guide Hayden Armstrong (para-triathlon), Nicola Carey (T20 cricket), Rebecca Van Asch (lawn bowls) and Emily Meaney (diving).