Actually maybe I should cut him a bit more slack as I'm not sure there are really any other male athletes that SA could have picked to replace him

0/10 to Richard for me, Jamie Riddle is a real prospect for SA triathlon in the next 12 years so will definitely be going to Paris and LA. Just imagine the experience he would have gained from racing the Games this year and the learning curve he would be on. Also If not Jamie, Sullwald has never had the Olympic opportunity and has had to go his whole career fighting for everything as TSA don't help our athletes one bit so it would have been a great reward for him. 0/10 Richard.

IT's a good point - an 18 year old Alistair Brownlee got a trip to Beijing with no pressure - he just went out and gave it a lash. Got himself out there at the head of the race for a while and no doubt took a huge boost of confidence and experience into the next 4 years then London.

I had posted this some days ago...after a heart surgery, even a small one, then some weeks of rest and now the olympics? It is a crazy idea and dont understand it at all. It is kind of risky for him and bad for the team...Sullwald has not shown up for quite a lonfg time but I guess you can put someone like him our any youngster for the relay cause Murray will not run 100%..

I read some news about bookmakers on the race...Zaferes is the less profitable (which I dont understand) and Duffy and Spirig are not even in the top 4
In the men´s , Mola is no.1, then Luis, then J.Brownlee and Yee...again, ..more sense, but JB????
So, if you wanna earn some dollars, make some investment cause I think the ones betting dont follow the sport too much...

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Spaniard. Sorry for my english for the sensitive ones :P

On rankings I think only Sullwald and Riddle could have been picked. Taking Murray so soon after heart surgery seemed bonkers from the outset. What's he going to do, jog round his leg of the relay trying to keep his heart rate down? Just seems completely pointless

Crappy that they pulled the plug last minute on Murray, and can't sub him from a quota perspective. Sulliwald and Riddle, could have been selected, Sulliwald as a life's achievement or Riddle as an investment in the future. But lets not pretend, with or without a full strength Richard Murray that they had any chance at a medal in the relay, Ackerman and Sanders are both great athletes, but they give up too much to many of the ladies that they will face in the relay to keep them realistically in contention. They couldn't have gotten Sulliwald or Riddle there for the individual event, but it might have been possible for them to make it for the relay (the briefings are virtual, but the packet pick-up is in person, not sure if they have to pick up their packet to be relay eligible?). I hope they run him last in their relay, so that he doesn't get them lapped out before some of the others get to race.

As for Vilaca. I have been scratching my head at this one. The Joao's are established, and when they are on their day, can be in the mix, but Portugal's future is Vilaca. He's only 96th in the Olympic rankings, because his 2020 races didn't count, but in terms of podium potential, I'd still put his odds better as Perreria or Silva. That said, I suspect he got the shaft because they failed to qualify a second female slot for the games. They missed out on MTR selection, and on individual results, only Santos was ranked high enough to earn a slot. If there had been an MTR in play, they would have had to take Vilaca, but without that, I suspect, they picked their top 2 ranked athletes. I suspect will see a very Hungry Vilaca in Montreal, where the Superleague-esque format will suit him.

If I were placing bets on Montreal (which I am not), I would suspect that a number of those who got the Olympic shaft will be firing on all cylinders and will have good races (Spivey, Vilaca, Nat VC, Willian, McElroy, Kasper, Coldwell, etc.) (scratch Willian and McElroy, who are not on the MTL startlist at the moment)

Do ypu think " they pulled the plug on Murray" ? It sounds like he pulled the plug, for his sponsors and career being at the olympics is big that would be why he left it until now to admit he can't race. If had done earlier someone may have been sent in his place and he wouldn't be a Tokyo Olympian. It was obvious he wouldn't be able to race. Can't believe he was even named on the team. No other country would risk doing that, not with heart issues.
What is the story with relays, would the athlete have to start the individual to be eligible to compete ?

Sorry, you're right he pulled the plug, but there's no way that the federation wasn't aware that this was a probability, and question why they didn't have a talk with him about this a week ago, when they could have swapped him out... There's no requirement to start the individual race to race the relay, but the relay starters have to occupy one of the country's quota spots (i.e. be on the startlist for the individual race)... There was just the statement from the World Tri athletes' commission urging federations not to tell people that they can't start the individual race, and that regardless if their selection was relay focused, to give the athlete the option to race the individual event... In the case of South Africa, knowing that he had heart surgery, it's mind blowing that they didn't travel an alternate who could have been swapped in when this occurred...

It's mind blowing that (a) Murray didn't withdraw himself from selection when he realised he'd need heart surgery, and (b) Triathlon South Africa selected him after he'd had heart surgery

Most countries have a pending fitness clause in their selection policy. He must have convinced them he would be fit and fine to race.

Actually Whitfield duffed it and slid out on a speed bump and took out the rider behind him. From Costa Rica, ended up finishing as I recall.

Maurice

Australians open about team tactics:

https://au.sports.yahoo.com/australian-triathletes-team-083206616.html

Dang it, one of our Belgian medal hopes is out.. Jelle Geens can't participate in the individual race (might be able to do the relay) since he had some Covid-like symptoms in the run up to the games, he has to have 2 negative tests over a period of 14 days, tested negative once but still has to wait 96h before he can do the last test..

Very disappointing for him and for us viewers/fans too. One of the podium potentials (more so than Martin in my opinion).

Really? I cant believe it. Geens was in the mix for the medal....He was 2nd in Yokohama and showed great fitness and being in the JF´s squad is a plus....hope he can recover but testing negative and still waitng for another test? what is a COVID sympthom to warn the medical staff? temperature? headache? These days must be super stressful for all the athletes just hoping not to suffer any sympthom or they will be put in quarantine...

any news about the water? cause if it is that dirty, maybe some athletes could get an infection and miss the relay...hope they are monitoring and have a plan B and that plan is not a duathlon....

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Spaniard. Sorry for my english for the sensitive ones :P

Not just the men. There are domestiques for Gentles.

He tested positive for Covid as I understand it. He didn't just have symptoms

https://www.220triathlon.com/...positive-covid-test/

This is crazy, would be nuts if it takes the Belgian Hammers out of the relay...

What?? As an Aussie who follows pretty dam close, this is something I hadn't heard was happening, not in the mens anyway, women's I suspected maybe the reason for the selections. Aus don't normally do this in a big way, not in the men, not like a full on domestique who waits for the chosen athlete as in Sharp/Mislawchuck fashion. Had happened with Jeffcoat and Gentle in grand final win but not seen them use it for men. Wonder if it is more we won't pull too many turns if in the front pack if Jake isn't there yet try not to hinder his chances.

Shame about Murray, a fully fit Murray would have been a medal contender, can't remember the last time he had a good race though.

Geens was my pick for a bronze, I'm going to have to go back to that prediction thread.

He says he tested positive a few weeks back and only got a negative yesterday. Too late to travel and race I guess as need 2 negatives. I am sure as he says hoped to be negative in time, he has probably been testing pretty much daily, so that would been first negative. He has been very quiet in socials for a while which is unusual for him. No sign of him at the Hammers holding camp in Tokyo before going into village. Now we know why.

Men's registration is complete, start lists have been updated with a number of scratches from the individual race.
- Geens and Murray are obviously out
- Both Dutch men are also scratched from the individual race, likely in favor of saving their legs for the MTR.

Everyone else seems to have at least checked in... No obvious swaps for alternates off the start list. tomorrow we'll get confirmation on the women's field.

That is awful…he is an exciting athlete and seemed like a legit contender.

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Aaron Bales
Lansing Triathlon Team

Agreed, van Riel is a great athlete in all disciplines but I'm guessing that a smaller group on the bike won't say away and they'll arrive into T2 with a "lager" group, where run speed is critical and then Geens has a very good shot at the podium together with Yee and Wilde.

So an even thinner men's field at the back of the swim.

I moved some ethereum around to invest in the race so just watched bits and pieces of the women's Leeds race --- what really convinced me to invest in Flora was that her run split was faster than Beth Potter and Cassandra Beaugrand --- I think it will be very hard to beat Flora and she'll get most of my eth for the win and some for top 3.

So who to put on a smaller investment for 'top 3' investment?

I'm leaning toward Maya Kingma -- she closed the gap to Learmonth early in the bike in Leeds and can probably hang with Flora on the bike.

My long shot is Alice Betto coz she had the 5th fastest run in Leeds, and that's usually her weakness, so I think she must be in the run shape of her life to go with her very solid swim and bike abilities --- the heat may play against her, like many of the others.

For the record, I also think Taylor Knibb has a podium shot, but this bookie doesn't list her among their 20 bettable women.

In the men's field, I'm less sure --- so I'm going to go with guys with longer odds.

I think Mislawchuk offers the best value in the heat, winner of the test event, and good recent race record --- some eth to win and top 3.

Van Riel has the swim, bike, run to have a good race, and small build to do well in the heat -- top 3 investment.

Vincent wasn't his usual impressive self in Yokohama but have to assume he'll be good for Tokyo -- top 3 investment.

For the Mixed Relay I'm just going to invest in my top 3 coz I don't have a standout fav - in no particular order:

France
UK
USA

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Advocating for research & treatment for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME).
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