The News London 365
  • Breaking News
  • Lifestyle
  • Coronavirus
  • Food
  • Politics
  • Sport
Monday, June 27, 2022
London
+10°C
Privacy Policy
Copyright
Contact us
No Result
View All Result
  • Breaking News
  • Lifestyle
  • Coronavirus
  • Food
  • Politics
  • Sport
No Result
View All Result
The News London 365
No Result
View All Result
Home Sport

BBC Olympics 2020: Alex Yee wins London’s first medal of Games with stunning performance in triathlon

The News London 365 by The News London 365
July 26, 2021
in Sport
0
BBC Olympics 2020: Alex Yee wins London’s first medal of Games with stunning performance in triathlon

A man from South East London gave team GB its first medal from the Tokyo Olympics last night (Sunday, July 25).

Alex Yee from Brockley, Lewisham, won a silver in his Olympic debut at Odaiba Marine Park in the triathlon event.

The 23-year-old is the fastest pure runner in the history of triathlon but over the past couple of years, he has proved himself capable of speedy swims in the water and fast times on the bike, making him a formidable competitor.

READ MORE:The Lewisham road where hundreds of drivers are fined every week

After standing on the podium to receive his medal, Yee said: “It hasn’t really sunk in quite yet, it doesn’t feel quite real that it’s me yet.

Great Britain’s Alex Yee finishes second to take the silver medal in the Men’s Triathlon
(Image: PA)

“I still just feel like a normal boy from South-East London.

“I hope I can just serve as inspiration to many people that this is possible. I’m not anything special, I just really enjoy sport and I’ve been really lucky that it was me.

He added: “I still feel like I’m a child of the sport, I’m going into every race trying to learn things.

“If I can carry on improving my swim then I can be a bit higher up and be in the race every time and that’s the goal for me, just to become the complete athlete rather than be winning everything, and fame and money.”

The race started at 6.30am to avoid the worst of the heat and humidity but there were farcical scenes as a boat blocked half of the competitors when the gun went off and the other half had to be stopped and escorted back to the pontoon for a restart.

French double world champion Vincent Luis led the way after the 1.5 kilometres swim, with fellow team GB Jonny Brownlee in a good position after the bike section and Yee heading the chasers 30 seconds down.

Kristian Blummenfelt of Team Norway celebrates winning gold and Alex Yee of Team Great Britain celebrates winning silver during the Men’s Individual Triathlon
(Image: Getty Images)

By the fourth lap of the 40km, the two groups were together, meaning the medals would come down to who was the stronger on the 10km run.

Norwegian Kristian Blummenfelt, his kit soaked in sweat and virtually transparent, made the first move on the third lap, pulling Yee, whose career was nearly ended by a serious bike crash in 2017, and Hayden Wilde of New Zealand away from the rest.

But then Blummenfelt kicked for home with around a kilometre to go and, although Yee tried to chase him down, he had to admit defeat and settle for silver.

Yee said: “I think I probably timed it a little bit wrong, leaving it a little bit too late to close the gap to Kristian.

MyLondon’s brilliant new newsletter The 12 is packed with news, views, features and opinion from across the city.

Every day we’ll send you a free email at around 12pm with 12 stories to keep you entertained, informed and uplifted. It’s the perfect lunchtime read.

The MyLondon team tells London stories for Londoners. Our 45 journalists cover all the news you need – from City Hall to your local streets.

Never miss a moment by signing up to The 12 newsletter here.

“Once I’d got halfway across it I think I was pretty cooked. I was starting to feel the heat. I had a really good heat strategy and I felt really comfortable up until that point but Kristian was the better man on the day.”

Speaking about GB triathlon competitors Alistair and Jonny Brownlee, the former who did not qualify for the event due to an ankle injury, he added: “Alistair and Jonny have created a legacy for the sport of triathlon, let alone for British triathlon, so I’ve been incredibly lucky to follow in their footsteps and see how they’ve worked and how they operate.

The respect is mutual, with Jonny saying of Yee: “He’s unbelievable. I’ve seen him come through. He was in Leeds for a couple of years training and he’s an unbelievable talent.

“He’s a great runner, he’s got a great head on him and he knows how to race. He doesn’t let the big occasion worry him and he’s now converted himself into a great all-round triathlete. Alex has got the ability now to dominate this sport.”

It has been a tough few years for Jonny, and he will now follow his brother in making the transition to longer forms of the sport.

Another medal was the goal, but the 31-year-old was proud of his efforts, saying: “It was unbelievably tough. On the run, it’s come down to 18 months of preparation and that’s what I had.

“I gave it everything – I don’t think I could have done much more than that. If there hadn’t been that early breakaway I might have been able to sneak a medal. But I’ve got to be proud of myself.”

Yee’s silver made Britain the most successful nation in the Olympic triathlon with six medals so far, and the trio of Georgia Taylor-Brown, Vicky Holland and Jess Learmonth will hope to add to that in the women’s race on Tuesday, July 27.

Britain will also have a very strong chance of gold when the mixed relay makes its Olympic debut on Saturday.

Get the latest Sport, celebrity and London news straight to your inbox, It only takes a few seconds! Click here

Read More
Related Articles

Read More
Related Articles

Tags: BBCLewisham
Previous Post

Tokyo Olympics: Tom Daley and Matty Lee win gold in 10-metre synchronised dive | World News

Next Post

Where is BBC Breakfast and why isn’t it airing as usual?

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

RECENT NEWS

Road closed after lorry crashes into bridge

Road closed after lorry crashes into bridge

June 27, 2022
Schauffele wins Travelers Championship after late Theegala blunder

Schauffele wins Travelers Championship after late Theegala blunder

June 27, 2022
British GP: Hamilton’s renewed hope but can anyone stop Verstappen?

British GP: Hamilton’s renewed hope but can anyone stop Verstappen?

June 27, 2022
Jumping and flat action on competitive Monday cards

Jumping and flat action on competitive Monday cards

June 27, 2022
Beth England: My Lionesses journey | ‘Sarina has taken England to new levels’

Beth England: My Lionesses journey | ‘Sarina has taken England to new levels’

June 27, 2022
US Vice President Tests Positive for COVID-19

US Vice President Tests Positive for COVID-19

June 27, 2022

Categories

Breaking News Coronavirus Daily Devotionals Food Health and Science Lifestyle Politics Sport What's On

Recent News

Road closed after lorry crashes into bridge

Road closed after lorry crashes into bridge

June 27, 2022
The News London 365

  • Privacy Policy
  • Copyright
  • Contact us
No Result
View All Result
  • Breaking News
  • Lifestyle
  • Coronavirus
  • Food
  • Politics
  • Sport

© 2022 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT